Blood Lust
by Zebulon
Summary: A/U This is an Alec/Original Character fic, but I'm taking the idea of a Slayer and vampires from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even if you don't watch BtVS, you'll still be able to follow this fic. I know crossovers tend to suck, but you might like this one.
1. Prophecy Girl

Okay, I've done an overhaul of the first chapter because I wasn't happy with it, so if you've already read it you might want to again. I also thought I should provide an explanation of the Slayer for all those who don't watch Buffy. So, here it goes:  
  
Into every generation, a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, to find the vampires where they gather, and to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. This Chosen One is activated when the previous Slayer dies and has preternatural strength, speed, grace, fighting prowess, senses and healing powers. The Slayer will fight evil until she is killed, at which point another Slayer is Chosen by the Powers That Be.  
  
Vampires are a mix of pure demon essence and human flesh. They drink the blood of humans to survive, but can 'turn' a human by draining them of nearly all of their blood, then forcing the human to drink their mixed blood from a wound on the vampire. Vampires can only be killed in a few ways: a wooden stake through the heart, sunlight, fire, and beheading. They also can be harmed by crosses, holy water and seem to have an aversion to garlic. They cast no reflection in mirrors, but cannot enter a private home unless invited in.  
  
  
Blood Lust  
  
Chapter 1: Prophecy Girl  
  
The night can be many things. It can be a protective cloak, a shadow that allows people to move in secrecy, to avoid prying eyes. It can be a warm, breathing entity that presses against the soul, reminding the spirit of both dangers and mysteries that are forgotten in everyday life. It can be a glimpse into an entire universe, a reminder of how insignificant everything is compared to the vastness of space. But to Alex Harrison, the night was a pit of danger and mainly a pain in her ass.  
  
{{Some days it just doesn't pay to walk outside your door,}} Alex thought sourly to herself as she picked her way down the dark garbage-strewn street. A few street lamps threw flickering pools of light on the pavement, but for the most part the buildings remained in shadow. Anything could be hiding in those shadows, which was why Alex was out here instead of somewhere she really wanted to be. {{Shoulda told Brian to stuff it up his ass tonight and gone clubbing instead.}}  
  
Patrolling while her Watcher set up a web of contacts in the Underworld was definitely not her idea of a fun Saturday night. But it was how she'd spent most of her nights since receiving her calling all those years ago. Like it or not, this was her duty. Her destiny and responsibility to mankind.  
  
{{Blow me,}} she thought sarcastically, directing the words to the world in general. She was feeling less than noble tonight. Her shoulder was bruised where she'd landed on her back and while she knew it would be gone by morning, right now it ached like hell. Her favourite shirt had been torn in the front by an attacking vamp, ripped beyond repair. She'd ditched it in a dumpster after staking her assailant in a fit of rage, leaving her in only a white tank and leather jacket. God, she went through more clothes than a growing teenage boy. And with the depression that followed the Pulse, it was hard enough to get enough cash for the bare essentials, not to mention a new wardrobe every week.  
  
So now she was sore and pissed off, not to mention tired. What little sleep she'd had over the past few days since moving to Seattle had been restless and filled with uneasy dreams. Normally nightmares didn't keep her up for long, but lately her dreams had been . . . different. They had an edge, a sense of reality to them that was unnatural. Most people would brush it off as having an overactive imagination, but Alex knew better. She'd read of one previous Slayer referring to them as 'morn-glom dreams' in one of the many Watcher's Chronicles she'd read since being called six years ago.  
  
Morn-glom dreams. Dreams full of death and danger and decay. They were a warning, a message of sorts from whatever powers existed that tried to balance out the scales of good and evil. She'd had them before, always just before things started to go really bad. The last time it had been a cult of dark witches attempting to ressurect an ancient demon of war. She'd barely managed to kill the damn thing and the only reason she'd gotten out of the whole ordeal alive was because of the hints she'd received in her dreams. But this time Alex had no idea what the hell her dreams were supposed to tell her. The only thing clear to her was that her presence was needed in Seattle to stop. . . something. Whether it was a vampire, a demon or an apocalypse, Alex didn't care. She just wanted to get this bitch over with.  
  
Alex sighed and pulled her jacket tighter. It was one in the morning, she was cold and cranky and hadn't seen hide nor hair of anything unnatural since the cross dresser who'd propositioned her nearly an hour ago. With so little action, she was seriously getting bored. What she really wanted to do was find somewhere with loud music, cheap beer and plenty of people to lose herself among. She wanted to relax and forget about her disturbing dreams for a while. She wanted to be normal.  
  
She found the perfect place two blocks down. The illuminated sign flashing above the door was half-burned out, but she could make out the word 'Lazarus' easily enough with her enhanced sight. The outside of the club was dingy like all the other buildings in the city, but it seemed to be a happening place. There was a long line up to get in, but Alex boldly pushed her way through the would-be clubbers to the bouncers at the door, unwilling to waste anymore of her time.  
  
"Hey boys," she smiled enticingly at the muscle-bound apes in front of her. "You know where a girl can get a good beer around here?"  
  
The bouncers glanced at each other, then the taller one studied her from head to toe. Young, good-looking girl, in a revealing white shirt, leather jacket and dark pants. Apparently she made the grade because he grunted and waved her in as the people she'd budded shouted their disapproval. As if she gave two shits about upsetting them.  
  
Alex followed a set of worn out stairs down to a large, dimly lit room packed with young people trying desperately to forget about the misery that existed in the world. Flashing lights assaulted her eyes and she had to blink a few times to clear the after-images. The air smelled of drugs, booze and sweat. It was heavy on her skin as the heat wave coming off the writhing crowd below her hit her full on. The music drummed in her ears, filling her head and moving her body as people pressed close around her.  
  
Alex grinned. "Perfect," she whispered to herself before setting out to get a nice cold beer to complete her fantasy.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alec barely paid any attention to what the red head in his arms was saying in his ear, but he was much more interested in what she was doing with her hands as they pressed suggestively against each other on the dance floor. He shoved his lips against her neck as he cupped her ass in his hand and grinned to himself. He was sooo glad Sketchy had suggested checking this place out instead of going to Crash as usual. He would've ended up with some girl there too, but with Max watching his every move for a chance to smack him upside the head; it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.  
  
He didn't know what was that girl's problem. Probably just so wound up from not getting any action for so long cause of this virus thing with Logan. Alec could definitely see Max being a big enough bitch to not want anyone else to get any just because she couldn't 'get busy' with her True Love. Course, it wasn't just his bed mates that Max found fault with. For a guy who was supposed to be perfect, Max said he sure had a lot of faults. Alec was aware of this; he knew he was a pain in the ass a lot of the time, but the way he looked at it, she wasn't little Miss Sunshine around him either. Plus, he really didn't care what people thought, so long as he had plenty of cash to buy plenty of beer and plenty of girls. {{Not that I need to pay for that last one,}} Alec smirked to himself as Red's hand slipped down between their bodies.  
  
Alec was just thinking that he should thank Sketchy for coming up with a good idea for once when Red suddenly pulled away. Blinking, Alec saw the friend she'd come with pulling on her elbow, telling her she wanted to leave, that 'that guy' was a total moron. Alec glanced over to see Sketchy sitting at their table all alone, obviously upset at blowing it with Red's friend. When Alec turned back, he discovered Red was already gone, halfway through the surging crowd with her arm wrapped consolingly around her friend's shoulder, obviously apologizing for leaving her alone with Sketchy.  
  
Alec allowed himself a flash of disappointment, then grinned and rubbed his hands together before pushing his way back to the table where Sketchy and beer waited. There were plenty of other fish in this particular sea and he was all about catching them and then throwing them back.  
  
"Hey buddy," he clapped Sketchy on the back as he claimed the stool next to him, scanning the crowds for a new possibility. "How's it going?"  
  
"Not so good," Sketchy said morosely, drawing little designs in the moisture on his bottle. "That chick just totally blew me off."  
  
"You know what would make you feel better?" Alec asked taking a swig from his beer.  
  
"More beer?" Sketchy replied hopefully, lifting his empty bottle. Beer was Sketchy's answer to everything.  
  
"Well, I was gonna say that hot little Spanish number in the corner, but beer would work too."  
  
"Actually," Sketchy sat up a little straighter as he followed Alec's gaze, running a hand through his messy hair. "I always wanted to learn Spanish."  
  
Alec started to smile, then froze as his gaze caught on someone near the bar. "Tell you what," he said, standing as his smile became more predatory. "You go pick up some Spanish while I get the beer."  
  
"Yeah, right," Sketchy grinned as he saw who Alec was staring at. If past experiences were any indication, Alec was going to get more than a beer. "You go work your mojo, man. I'll probably see you at work on Monday."  
  
"Good luck," Alec winked at him cockily, then headed towards the girl at the bar who had caught his attention.  
  
She was short, probably a head smaller than him, and her slim figure looked as if it would fit his body perfectly. She casually tossed some stray blonde hair out of her eyes as she leaned back against the bar, languidly sipping her beer as she lazily eyed the dancing masses. Alec's lips curled upward in appreciation as she shifted, her white tank now showing both a quite a bit of cleavage and a peek of flat stomach above the dark jeans. She didn't seem that interested in her surroundings and she definitely didn't have a date. Looked like Lady Luck had decided to take him under her wing tonight.  
  
For the second time that night Alec thought about thanking Sketchy for dragging him to Lazarus. {{But,}} he thought as he moved in for the kill, {{That can definitely wait until morning.}}  
  
* * * *  
  
Alex was unconsciously bobbing her head in time with the music, feeling the tension drain like liquid from her muscles when a deep voice drawled right next to her ear, " So, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"  
  
Alex turned her head, intending to freeze the creep out with a cold remark, but then she saw his face. An appreciative smile lit up her face as she took him in. 'Wow' was the word that came to mind. He was the epitome of male perfection. From his lean legs to his broad chest, all the way up to his sexy lips and tousled hair. Not to mention his stunning green eyes.  
  
Her smile widening, she turned to face him. While Alex would have preferred having lasting relationships, the nature of her calling meant it was dangerous to get too close to anyone besides her Watcher, so she had to make do with only satisfying her more primal urges. Which was alright with her; she didn't have anything against girls that slept around as much as guys did, just so long as they were doing it to please themselves and not because they'd tricked themselves into believing that if they only laid down and opened their legs, somehow they'd be worthy of being loved. It had been a while since her last fling and she'd been feeling a little antsy lately. Besides, it looked like tonight was her night for fantasies becoming reality.  
  
"Whoa," she smiled flirtatiously up at him, practically drowning in the endless depths of his ocean-coloured eyes. "I'm blown away by your originality."  
  
He grinned arrogantly at her, but she didn't mind the attitude he was radiating. While she probably would have smacked him upside the head to knock some sense into him if she'd met him anywhere else, she didn't give a damn right now what personality defects he had. It wasn't as if she was all that interested in talking to him anyway. But the longer she studied his beautiful body, the more she wanted to do other things with him.  
  
"Well, I was gonna ask where your wings are, but it just didn't seem to fit," he said, leaning towards her, confidence etched into his every movement.  
  
"Oh?" Alex cocked her head to one side, shoulder length blonde hair falling back. "Why not?"  
  
"You look like you enjoy having. . . fun too much to be an angel."  
  
She laughed out loud at his routine, amused by his blatant interest. At least there would be no games about what they were both after tonight. Letting go of her beer resting on the bar she extended her hand. "My name's Alex."  
  
He raised his eyebrows over dancing eyes, all smooth sophistication and charm. "Well, imagine that! I'm Alec. We've practically got the same name."  
  
"Hmm," she purred, holding onto his hand for an extra beat, feeling her breath quicken in anticipation from that one little touch. "Guess we were just meant to meet."  
  
"You know," Alec lowered his voice as he leaned even closer to her. He smelled of sweat and spice and something she just couldn't place. "One of the guys I work with believes everybody you meet has something to teach you."  
  
"Oh, I can think of a few things I could teach you," Alex grinned wickedly as she reached out to trace a finger along his shirt before grabbing a fistful and pulling him close. "But let's start with dancing," she whispered in his ear, walking him backwards onto the dance floor as their eyes locked.  
  
Alec's hands came up to grasp her hips as he slid his leg between her knees, immediately invading her personal space. Just like she wished he would. She linked her arms above his head, instantly falling in time with his movements as they swayed to the music, letting her body move against his. The music pounded into the crowd as the lights swirled overhead and soon they were lost in a sea of glistening bodies and heat.  
  
Alec couldn't remember the last time he'd been so attracted to a girl. During his illustrious career as Seattle's biggest player he'd been with some gorgeous women. And while Alex was very pretty, she didn't possess the beauty of some of the women he'd been with. And yet, she had a glow about her that made every other woman in the room dull in comparison. And when she rubbed up against him just like she was now she seemed to glow brighter than any star he'd ever seen.  
  
Alex pulled back slightly to look Alec in the eye, feeling his breath on her face, then let her gaze drift down to his perfect lips. They met each other half way, lips parting before probing tongues. Alex slid her hands down his back to grasp his butt, pulling him closer as his kiss dizzied her and intoxicated her senses. She wasn't sure but she thought she heard him growl deep in his throat as he sucked on her lower lip, running his hands up and down her body and rubbing up against her like a cat in heat. It was as if their senses had been set on two and suddenly somebody had cranked them up to ten. Alec could feel her heart beating as fast as his and he could smell the arousal mixed in with her scent. Electricity seemed to dance between their bodies as they tried to devour each other, movements suddenly desperate.  
  
Deciding quickly that he wanted to leave the club now, Alec pulled back and whispered thickly in her ear, "Your place or mine?"  
  
Smiling, Alex opened her mouth to reply when suddenly a new sensation pushed through the dense fog of desire clouding her mind. Every single hair on her body stood on end and her skin felt as if it were trying to crawl right off her bones. She could literally feel the evil in the room and her Slayer's instincts took over. Instantly alert, Alex scanned the crowd quickly and caught sight of her prey almost immediately.  
  
A good looking young black guy in cargos and a beater was leading a thin girl through the crowd, occasionally throwing a wolfish smile at her over his shoulder. The girl, an obvious clubbing regular in a shiny mini and barely legal top pressed up against his back, following him towards the exit and her death. The guy was a vampire, but there was no way for the girl to know that. But Alex saw it right away, in the way he moved, in the look in his eyes. He was a killer.  
  
Alex snapped her attention back to the sexy guy with his hands currently in the back pockets of her jeans. She felt a flash of irritation at having to pass on what would surely have been an entertaining evening, but nonetheless disengaged herself from his embrace, thoughts already returning to the vampire climbing the stairs leading back up to the rest of the world. This was why she'd come to Seattle in the first place.  
  
"Sorry," she replied to Alec with a distant smile. "I just remembered a previous engagement."  
  
She walked away without looking back, leaving a shocked Alec standing alone among the dancers, trying to recover his ego.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alex made good time getting out of the club, using her small frame and supernatural strength to manoeuvre and push her way through the crowds. She got plenty of death glares and a fair number of death threats from the people she shoved out of her way, but by the time she reached the street she was within fifteen feet of the vampire and his intended victim. Alex slowed her progress as she followed so she wouldn't be close enough to be noticed. She hung back, naturally moving with the silent grace of a predator.  
  
She expected the vamp to lead the girl to a deserted street or dark corner where he could feed on her either unnoticed or mistaken for a lust-driven couple, but he didn't stop at any of the suitable locations they passed. Alex was just beginning to wonder where he was going when the wind carried part of their conversation back to her.  
  
"Are we nearly there?" the girl asked in a plaintive tone, tottering in platforms to keep up with his long stride. She kept pulling her skirt down with her free hand as it rode up her body and Alex silently asked herself why anyone would wear something that looked that uncomfortable.  
  
"It's a bit further, but it's totally worth it," the vampire promised, his body language indicating he was agitated about something. He was probably excited about his upcoming meal, which made the fact that he hadn't stopped yet to attack all the more confounding.  
  
"C'mon baby!" The girl tugged on his arm, tired of keeping her balance. She'd come out tonight to dance, not run a fucking marathon. "It's too far."  
  
"Yeah, you're right." The vamp stopped, glancing the way they'd been heading before turning back to the girl. " I guess there's no harm in doing it here." And with that he turned into a monster.  
  
Alex leapt forward as soon as she saw his face change. She was already halfway there even before the girl opened her mouth to scream when her companions face shifted, brow protruding and lips pulled back in a snarl as he lunged for her. She reached them before he could sink his jagged teeth into the soft flesh of the girl's exposed neck. The vamp looked up at the sound of her pounding feet just in time for her to smash her fist straight into his face with bone-crushing strength, causing him to release the girl as he roared in pain, grabbing his nose.  
  
As the vamp staggered backwards Alex grabbed the girl's arm, practically throwing her back the way they'd come. "Run!" she yelled, glancing back at the stunned vampire before turning to scream at the paralysed girl, "Get inside!"  
  
The second shout seemed to break the spell of terror the girl was under and she took off, literally running for her life in her wobbly platforms. Alex wondered briefly whether it would occur to her that she would be able to get away faster bare foot.  
  
Alex felt the air shift behind her and she ducked under the punch, snapping a kick back to catch the vampire in the side. "That wasn't playing fair," she scolded him, turning around. "At least I waited 'til we were face to face."  
  
The vampire snarled and threw himself at her, this time managing to get in a blow that snapped her head painfully to one side. Though her ears were ringing Alex blocked the follow up jab and kicked him in the face, knocking him backwards once more.  
  
The vamp stayed back this time, circling her warily as he clued into the fact that she wasn't quite human herself. "What are you?" he growled, reptilian eyes shining in the dark.  
  
"Your worst nightmare," she replied grimly, fists at chin level, readying for anything he threw at her. "The Vampire Slayer."  
  
A look of intense fear flitted across his face before his sneer returned. Some detached part of Alex that wasn't planning different battle tactics noted this fact and worried. Usually vampires were either so ignorant or so cocky they didn't see her as a threat or else they were just plain terrified of her. They didn't just get over that fear.  
  
"You came to the wrong town, girly," he sneered, continuing to circle her.  
  
"Oh, really?" she smirked.  
  
"He's not just gonna let you come in here and mess up his playground."  
  
"Who's 'he'?" Alex asked, but the vamp was already moving, rushing towards her with deadly grace. Luckily she was even more deadly.  
  
It really was stupid to try to rush her. Alex waited calmly until the vampire was close enough and then grabbed his arm and used his own momentum to flip him over her shoulder. He made a resounding crack as he hit the pavement, probably breaking more than a few bones, and she kneeled quickly beside him, producing a stake from inside her jacket and shoving it into his chest in one smooth movement.  
  
The demon stared up at her in shock for a second, then exploded into dust. The street was quiet once more as a cool breeze stirred the ashes and carried them off. Alex stood, straightening her jacket.  
  
"S'okay," she breathed sarcastically, turning away, "I didn't really want an answer anyway." 


	2. The Harsh Light of Day

Just to give you guys a time frame within the show, this takes place after Borrowed Time, so transgenics are still mainly a rumour in Seattle, albeit a growing one. Please R and R. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
Blood Lust  
  
  
  
The Harsh Light of Day  
  
  
  
  
Max strolled into Jam Pony Monday morning only ten minutes late instead of her usual twenty. Original Cindy had once asked how she, Max Guevera, a genetically engineered soldier who needed no sleep and therefore did not 'sleep in', could manage to be late for work every single day when she could simply leave at the same time as Cindy. Max shrugged it off with the excuse that she wasn't a morning person. Cindy shot back that she just liked to piss off Normal. She was probably right.  
  
Speak of the devil. Normal popped up from behind his desk, arms laden down with packages of all shapes and sizes. He squinted at her through his glasses and then scowled. "Well, well. Look who finally decided to regal us with her presence. You know, Missy Miss, most people who want to keep their jobs actually show up on time."  
  
Max shot a cutting glance his way. "You know, Normal, most people pull their head out of their a-"  
  
"Maxie!" Alec cut her off, throwing an arm around her shoulder and steering her away from Normal's desk. "Really Max," he chided her in his best pre-school teacher voice as she violently shrugged off his arm. "You should learn how to play well with others. Otherwise you're never gonna have any friends. And people without any friends are known as 'losers'."  
  
"Gee, thanks for the life lesson of the day, Alec. And you're really somebody to be taking people lessons from." Max shot back at him as she opened her locker and rummaged around for some of her gear.  
  
"Hey, whaddya mean by that?" Alec asked with a hurt expression. "I get along great with people. I have terrific people skills. Sketch," he hit a passing Sketchy lightly on the arm to get his attention. "Do you think I'm a people person?"  
  
"People person?" Sketchy mumbled around a mouthful of apple. "Man, I've never seen anybody get along with people so well. And," he added slyly, sharing a grin with Alec, "I think all the ladies of Seattle can attest to that."  
  
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Max said, rolling her eyes at their caveman attitudes. "Getting a girl into bed doesn't mean you have good people skills. In your two cases, it doesn't even have anything to do with you. It means one of three things: a) she's drunk, b) she's stupid or c) she's desperate. Take your pick."  
  
Alec merely snorted at her as Sketchy tried to throw his apple core in a nearby garbage. Sketchy, being Sketchy, missed and as he was retrieving it, replied over his shoulder to Max. "See, Max, you just don't know what you're talking about. I have seen my bro here in action and let me tell you, he is smooth. Take that girl on Saturday at Lazarus," Sketchy turned to Alec. "Five minutes after meeting you, she was all over you on the dance floor. And to discredit your theory, Max, she wasn't drunk and from the very stunning looks of her, I wouldn't exactly call her desperate."  
  
"Yeah, well that still leaves stupid, Sketch." Max said with a smirk as she slammed her locker shut and nodded a greeting to Original Cindy as she came up. "Hey O.C., what's up?"  
  
"Not much, boo. See you managed to drag your fine little ass in here this morning. And only ten minutes late too. Normal probably went into shock when he saw you walk through the door," Original Cindy shook her head, tight brown ringlets bouncing around her head.  
  
"Nah," Max smiled at her best friend. "He just busted my ass as soon as I walked in, same as always. I swear to God, something nasty crawled up his butt and died."  
  
"Shugah," Cindy said as she took out her backpack, "that thing's been up in that hole since the day he was born. And what were y'all talkin' bout? I heard somethin' bout my boo havin' a theory? Since when did you start comin' up with those, girl?"  
  
"Since Alec and Sketchy here decided to display what morons they are and brag about how doing the dirty dance with some ditz means they've got good people skills."  
  
"Hell, all that means is they got some good beer!" Original Cindy and Max laughed together.  
  
"For real, guys, you should've seen this chick, she was all over Alec like he was some pre-Pulse rock star or some shit," Sketchy said. "Which reminds me, man," he turned to Alec once more, "You haven't told me how she was. I mean," he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "Was she as good as she looked?"  
  
"You guys are disgusting," Max informed him.  
  
O.C. nodded, then noticed Alec was suddenly very interested in a spot on the floor. She put two and two together quickly, then smiled slyly. "Wait a second. Hot Girl didn't end up givin' you an all access pass, did she? She left you standin' all by your lonesome out in the cold, huh?"  
  
Alec shrugged defensively, hands in his pocket. "She had an emergency, couldn't stick around."  
  
Max raised her eyebrows, "If the girl decided to bail maybe she's not as stupid as I thought."  
  
Alec shot her a nasty look. "Why don't we talk about something other than my love life? Say Max, how's yours?"  
  
O.C. shook her head at his stupidity as Max snarled, "Bite me," immediately seeing red. Dammit, why did he have to be such an asshole all the time?  
  
"I'd love to," Alec leered back, content to get a rise out of her. Sure, it was alright for her to poke fun at every body else, but get in a little jab about her and Roller Boy's lack of loving and you are such an oh-so-terrible person.  
  
Max might have chosen to respond with a well-aimed blow to his most precious body part, but just then Sketchy tugged on Alec's arm, drawing all of their attention to him. "Alec, isn't that. . .?"  
  
Alec turned and looked over at the counter where Normal was talking to some blonde girl. He stared at her for a second before she looked away from Normal and he saw her profile. A look of complete surprise came over his face.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, that is her!" Sketchy said, getting a closer look. "Man, what are the odds! Looks like the fates decided to send you a second chance, buddy."  
  
"Fool, what are you talkin' bout? Second chance at what?" O.C. put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips, giving Sketchy her best 'start-makin'-some-sense-or-else-I'm-gonna-put-the-smack-down-on-your-ass' look.  
  
Sketchy nodded over his shoulder at the girl who was currently filling out some kind of form. "A second chance at catching the one that got away. That's the girl from the club."  
  
Max and OC stared past Sketchy, watching the new comer with interest. "Damn," Original Cindy sighed, getting a good look at her figure. "Why is it all the fine looking ladies gotta be playing hard ball?"  
  
Just then the girl shook hands with Normal and turned around. She was about to walk off in the opposite direction when she saw Alec. She looked completely shocked for a second; then, with a look that was suspiciously similar to resignation, she began to walk towards him.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alex sighed as she exited the building, throwing a half-hearted glare at the door. She couldn't really blame them for not hiring her. After the Pulse, it was pretty much the same story in every city she'd been to: too many people, too few jobs. Still, it didn't make rejection any sweeter. And it sure as hell didn't pay the rent on the little hole she and Brian had managed to find.  
  
She pulled a folded up scrap of newspaper from her pocket along with a red pen. Gripping the pen in her teeth she pulled the cap off and, using the side of the building for support, proceeded to cross off another of the ads in the help wanted section she'd circled off at breakfast that morning. So far, not so good. At least Brian had found a job down at the docks, doing some manual labour. Alex could've gone for some of that too, but there was one tiny difference between her and her Watcher that stood in the way: Brian was a young, well built male while Alex looked as she couldn't shift a couch on her own, much less spend the entire day moving heavy merchandise.  
  
A few cities ago, when cash was especially tight, Alex had casually mentioned giving a prospective employer a sample of her surprising strength to show him she could get the job down. The way Brian had reacted you would've thought she'd suggested giving him a neon pink flyer stating 'SLAYER- SUPERNATURAL BEING CREATED TO KILL MONSTERS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE DON"T EXIST!' After that blow-out Alex had resigned herself to long searches for less demanding work.  
  
The only easy way to pick up some quick cash these days for her gender was stripping and while Alex enjoyed getting it on as much as the next girl, she definitely had too much self-respect to prance around half naked in front of a bunch of hormonally challenged apes.  
  
'Plus,' Alex reflected as she ran her finger down the column to the next ad, 'Working nights just wouldn't fit into my strict schedule of exercise, dieting and killing things.' Her finger stopped at the second to last place left to apply. Pulling the paper closer, muttering about news papers deliberately writing things in incredibly small print to annoy people she read the short ad. 'Jam Pony Bike Messenger Service. Apply at front desk. Ask for Normal.' Except for an address, that was it.  
  
'Normal?' Alex laughed to herself as she folded the paper back up and placed it in her jacket pocket. 'Jeez, his parents must've hated him.'  
  
Alex glanced both ways, then sprinted across the street, holding up an eloquent finger to some asshole in an old Chevy that was tearing down the street like it was the goddamn Indianapolis 500 or something. Once on the other side she started out for the address mentioned in the ad, keeping an eye out for the right street to turn down. Even though she hadn't even been in Seattle for a week yet, she knew her way around. Every time they got to a new city Alex made it a point to study a map of the roads and if possible the sewer systems, not to mention take little scouting trips during the day. She found that knowing what street led where was a great help when chasing down a demon and was even more helpful when running from one.  
  
She passed a couple of guys chatting on the corner and one looked up to smile appreciatively at her. She smiled back, meeting his big brown eyes only to flash back to a pair of green-blue ones. 'Christ!' she groaned inwardly, 'Get over it Alex! It isn't like you've never seen a good looking guy before.'  
  
'True enough, but never one that good looking,' another treacherous little voice in her head rejoined and with a small smile Alex had to agree. Alec had been the ultimate specimen of male perfection. She'd never known they came that perfect. She felt a shiver run down her back as she remember the feel of his big hands caressing her body and goose bumps appeared on her arms as she recalled the heat that had been present between the two of them. She hadn't felt that kind of electricity with someone since. . . well, ever. And now, two days later, she still couldn't keep the image of his perfect face or the feel of his breath on her skin out of her head. She'd even thought about him while patrolling on Sunday night. She just couldn't stop, even while berating herself for allowing him to become a distraction that could cost her a life-saving edge in her nightly fights. He was like those chips in that old commercial. One taste just wasn't enough.  
  
Alex mentally grabbed herself and gave herself a good shake. 'He's a guy, nothing more!' They would've used each other for one night, hell for one hour, and then they would have been on their merry ways. She could find dozens of other good-looking guys in Seattle that would trip all over themselves to give her what she wanted. Exasperated with her preoccupation with a man she'd spent ten minutes with, Alex decided that it was all just pent up desire and promised herself she'd go out tonight and jump the first decent guy she came across. Once she got a little bit of action, she'd totally forget about Mr. Alec and his gorgeous lips.  
  
Finding Jam Pony was pretty easy. Alex didn't even bother checking the building number, she just followed all the kids on bikes. It was a pretty big building, with a picture of a bike messenger over an open door way. Following a couple of employees in who were discussing a tabloid with some dog-man on the cover, she found herself in a huge, spartanly-decorated room filled with lockers, bikes and benches, not to mention people. She found the front desk directly to her right. Behind it was one of the geekiest looking men she'd ever seen.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey! This is a work place, not a cheap motel. You two want to do that, get a room," he shouted to a couple kissing hello across the room. The two threw him dirty looks before moving on and Alex heard him mutter something about 'disrespectful cockroaches' as he adjusted his glasses.  
  
"Excuse me?" Alex said, placing her hands on the counter top. "I'm here to see someone named . . . Normal about a job ad in the newspaper?"  
  
"No jobs here," the man replied impatiently, not even looking up from the paper he was writing on. "Ad's old, don't need any more of you rug rats running around infecting this place with your loose morals."  
  
"Oh," Alex said. Deciding that begging wasn't going to get her anywhere, she went for a different approach. "Well, I can see you have a thriving business to attend to here, so I'd just like to thank you for your time, sir, and then I'll get be on my way," she said in her most professional voice and extended her hand to block his view of his page.  
  
Normal looked up, staring at her hand as if he'd never seen one before. "Well, well, one of you kids actually has some manners," he said in a wondrous tone as he took her hand. "What did you say your name was?"  
  
She gave him her best smile. "My name's Alexandra Harrison. Most people call me Alex, but I think Alexandra sounds more respectful, don't you."  
  
"Yes I do Alexandra," Normal replied, shuffling through some papers quickly. He found the one he wanted and handed it to her. "I might be able to use someone who knows how to conduct herself properly in a place of work. Maybe some of these louts would learn something from you. We start at nine in the morning, last run's exactly at seven. I expect my employees to be on time and respectful and I won't tolerate any slacking off."  
  
"Believe me, that won't be a problem, Mr. . .?" she trailed off, waiting for him to fill in the blank. Surely he didn't actually go by the name Normal.  
  
"Just call me Normal, Alexandra, no need for last names here. You got a bike?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.  
  
"No-"  
  
"Not a problem," Normal replied, pointing over her shoulder as she filled in the form quickly. "Bike racks over there, you can use a company bike until you can afford to buy one yourself. But you break it, you bought it."  
  
"Understood," Alex nodded, pleased at having scored a paying job. "I can start as soon as you'd like."  
  
"Good, good, enthusiasm, I like that," Normal said brusquely. "I'll have a sector pass for you tomorrow. For today you can accompany one of the others on their runs. A tip: find a guy named Alec, he's the best of the lot around here. And don't forget to get a signature for each package."  
  
And with that Normal turned away, already yelling at some guy just coming through the door. When he'd mentioned the name Alec she couldn't help tensing a little bit, which only served to irritate her. 'Honestly,' she thought as she turned around, 'I just can't get away from that guy.'  
  
And that's when she saw him.  
  
For a second she remained frozen in shock, eyes locked with his. There was a flash of recognition in his eyes, which was something of a relief. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one that had made an impression. It occurred to her that she probably looked like an idiot, standing there with her mouth gaping open like a codfish and she snapped it shut.  
  
It felt as if they were picking up exactly where they'd left off in the club. A rush of desire hit her full force as she stared at him in his black tee shirt and jean jacket. She hadn't thought it possible, but he looked even better in regular lighting. Then she remembered what exactly her experience with him had been and she blushed.  
  
Alex didn't mind having a fling with an unknown guy, but she'd always made it a point to make sure they were exactly that: an UNKNOWN guy. As in someone with absolutely no connection to any other aspect of her life. Going down that path led to attachments and relationships and places she simply did not have the luxury of exploring. And now it turned out that a guy she'd gotten hot and heavy with was going to be her new co-worker. Wonderful.  
  
It was too late to sneak away. He'd obviously seen her before she'd seen him, so all she could do was go over and lay down the rules so he didn't get the wrong idea. Resigning herself to the fact that now she most definitely was not going to be able to forget him, she made her way towards him. He walked over to meet her halfway, moving apart from the little group he'd been standing with.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alec moved away from the others to greet Alex, eyes taking in the way her shirt dipped in the front. He was seriously considering breaking the promise he'd made to himself to not get involved with co-workers ever since that ugly incident with Little Suki and that other chick. He couldn't even remember her name, she'd quit since then, so there was no reason to remember it. He'd told himself that all the grief wasn't worth the tail when he could get it hassle-free somewhere else, but as he watched Alex walk towards him he thought that that particular piece of tail would definitely be worth the trouble.  
  
He plastered an easy smile on his face as he greeted her, "Alex, what're you doing here? Didn't think I'd ever see you again."  
  
"Hey Alec." She replied with a smile, but kept her distance. "I just got a job here."  
  
"A job? Normal hired you?" Alec answered, surprised. "Usually he's super-strict about hiring."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him icily. "Are you saying I don't meet with the 'company standards'?"  
  
"Oh no!" Alec answered quickly, holding up his hands defensively. "I just meant he usually interrogates everyone for at least fifteen minutes. I doubt you were up there for five."  
  
She grinned at him, "You'd be surprised what you can get when you ask for it the right way."  
  
Alec grinned back, about to shoot off a totally inappropriate comment in the work place when he noticed the rest of his gang hadn't moved on. Instead they were still hanging around the lockers, apparently all interested in tasks that would keep them within eavesdropping range. He shook his head slightly at them, not really minding. Of course, if he'd known what was going to come out of her mouth next, he might have felt differently.  
  
"Listen, Alec," she started. "About Saturday night. . ."  
  
"It was nice," Alec said when she hesitated. "It's too bad you had to leave."  
  
"Yeah," she muttered, taking a deep breath. "Listen, I had a great time too. It was fun. But I'm really not looking for anything, just so you know. I didn't think I'd ever see you again, but now that we're working together I really think it would be a good idea if we were just friends."  
  
Behind him Alec heard a snort of laughter that sounded suspiciously like Max. He himself was somewhat in shock. 'Just be friends'? That was supposed to be his line! He was the dumper, never the dumpee!  
  
Flabbergasted, but without any other option, Alec decided it was best to accede with grace. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. You know, office romance and everything. Never works out."  
  
"Exactly," she smiled easily, inwardly relieved that he was going along with her and at the same time a little disappointed that he didn't argue. "So, um, Normal said something about finding someone to show me the ropes?"  
  
"Girl, I got you covered," Original Cindy butted into the conversation, leading a grinning Max and Sketchy over. "My name's Original Cindy, this here's my girl Max and that thang over there is known as Sketchy."  
  
"Hey," Alex nodded a greeting back to them. "Alex."  
  
"Couldn't help hearin' you need a little guidance through your first day in this hell hole. Well, Original Cindy's a long time survivor of Normal's abuse. What say you come on your runs with me and then afterwards we can all meet at Crash for drinks so you can get to know the rest of us."  
  
"Sounds great," Alex agreed, already warming up to the dark girl's straight forward attitude.  
  
"Yeah, perfect," Alec sighed, still smarting from the second ego blow she'd dealt him since they'd met.  
  
"Oh, wait," Alex said, remembering Brian was expecting her tonight. "I forgot, I told my room mate I'd go out with him tonight. We're both new in town, so we thought we'd take a look around."  
  
"That's cool," Max said, noting the flash of instinctive jealousy in Alec's eyes when Alex mentioned 'him'. "Why don't you bring him along? We'd all love to meet him."  
  
Alex nodded in agreement, eager to have a small taste of normalcy before heading out for nightly patrol. She was sure Brian would be alright with it.  
  
"Then it's a plan," OC said brightly, taking Alex's arm. "Now let's go get you a ride." 


	3. This Year's Girl

Thanks for the awesome reviews guys. It's great receiving feedback. As for everyone who wants hints at what's going to happen, you're just going to have to read it to find out! ; )  
  
Blood Lust  
  
  
This Year's Girl  
  
  
  
Crash was crowded with the usual assortment of sundry characters that invaded the small bar after sunset. Alec scanned the crowd from his vantage point at the pool table. He could see Max and Original Cindy at their table finishing off the last of the pitcher he'd bought them all. He spotted a few of his Jam Pony comrades around the bar and on the dance floor, as well as more than a few ladies he'd gotten to know intimately in the past. One of them, a busty red head named Clara walked past, tossing him a wink as she reached out to cop a feel as he leaned over to take his shot. Alec threw a dangerous smile at her over his shoulder, but turned his attention back to the game. He didn't really feel like hooking up with anyone tonight.  
  
He made his shot with relative ease as Sketchy mournfully shook his head as he watched his chance at winning go down the tubes. Sketchy should have learned by now that when he played against Alec, he really didn't have any chance to start out with.  
  
Alec walked around the table, supposedly contemplating his set-up, but his eyes were constantly drawn back up to unconsciously scan the expanding crowd as new arrivals made their way in as the night progressed.  
  
Sketchy, leaning on his pool cue, got tired of waiting for Alec to take his shot and, exasperated, said, "She ain't here yet man!"  
  
"Huh?" Distracted with watching the entrances, it took Alec a moment to process this comment. When he did he turned back to Sketchy, a look of studied ignorance on his face. "What're you talking about, Sketch?"  
  
"Alex. She ain't here yet."  
  
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Alec shrugged, trying to play it cool. He bent down to line up his next shot.  
  
"Right," Sketchy snorted. "You've been looking for her ever since we got here. I'm getting neck cramps just from watching you twist around trying to look everywhere at once."  
  
Alec scowled at him and took his shot, just barely making it. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Whatever man. I don't know why you keep insisting you're not interested." Sketchy kept talking, hoping to distract Alec from the game and salvage his bet. "I mean, even a blind man would be all over her faster than a fat kid on a bag of chips. Besides, just because she shot you down once doesn't mean you won't breach the perimeter next time out."  
  
Alec glared at him openly. "She did NOT shoot me down and I am NOT interested." His jaw slightly clenched, he turned his back to Sketchy, sinking another ball. "Besides, it's not like she's the hottest chick you've ever seen. I can name ten women off the top of my head that are twice as good looking as her."  
  
"Maybe," Sketchy grinned, "but none of them ever said no to you. And why don't you say her name?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Her name. Alex. Al-ex," Sketchy stretched it out for him. "You keep referring to her as 'her'."  
  
"So? I don't remember half the names of the girls I've been with."  
  
"Yeah, but I know you remember this one. You're just tripping out for some reason."  
  
"I am NOT tripping!" Alec realized he sounded like a bratty kid and scowled to himself, shooting hard. The harsh clacking of the balls did nothing to sooth the energy that was bouncing around inside of him. Christ, why did Sketchy think Alex was such a big deal? He'd made out with her once; she was just a blur among a sea of willing lips. There was absolutely nothing to set her apart from the pack. Besides, why would he be waiting for her when there were a dozen girls in Crash he could take home tonight if he wanted to? They'd be more than happy to help him scratch his itch. Yes, that's what it was. An itch. He was so jumpy because he hadn't been laid over the weekend. In fact, it'd been over a week since his last encounter. All he needed was to get some and then he'd be back to his normal, cocky, devil-may-care self.  
  
Alec had just convinced himself he'd figured out his problem and was confidently leaning over to take another shot when his eyes slid across the room to the table Max and Cindy were sitting at. Only now they weren't alone. Alex was there, looking as tempting as ever in dark jeans and a blood-red sleeveless blouse with her leather jacket overtop. She laughed at something O.C. said and tossed her hair over her shoulder and Alec's breath left his chest as if somebody had body checked him. No matter what he told Sketchy, Alec had a sneaking suspicion that he would find Alex eating ice cream more arousing than seeing any of his ten so-called more beautiful women in their underwear.  
  
Alec's gaze flickered from Alex when he noticed a guy, maybe six years older than her, standing behind her. He was a tall brother with a shaved head and an easy way of standing near her that raised Alec's Manticore-bred territorial instincts. He clamped down tight on them as he felt his animalistic side kick in with the thought to go take his girl away. *His girl?* He definitely needed to get laid.  
  
Sketchy followed Alec's gaze back to their table and was about to offer some smart-ass comment when Alex glanced their way. For just the briefest second she froze, then smiled and waved. Sketchy smiled back and on a mischievous impulse waved her over to join them. Alec suddenly felt a very strong urge to give Sketchy's ass a good beating.  
  
But it was too late. Alex touched her friend's shoulder and said a few words to everyone at the table before making her way over to the pool table. Alec pretended to be very interested in the game. He tried to look casual, but he knew Sketchy, the idiot, would probably find some way to place them in a situation they both wanted to avoid. Still, he couldn't help but unconsciously straighten his shoulders and puff up his chest a bit.  
  
Alex smiled again as she arrived at the table, a mug of beer in her hands. "Hey guys, what's up?"  
  
"Hey Alex," Sketchy said as Alec nodded in her direction. "Not much. Where've you been?" He glanced over at Alec, "Uh, *we've* been waiting for you all night."  
  
Alex shrugged, glancing away. "Oh, we just had to, um, set up some things at home. You know, still unpacking." Truth was she'd been out on a mini-patrol before going out for the night. She'd probably go out for another one with Brian after they left.  
  
"So you and Shaft over there live together, huh?" Alec glanced at her.  
  
"Oh, no! I mean, yes." Alex blushed as Alec raised his eyebrow, suddenly uncomfortable under his gaze. "We live together, but we're not like that. Brian's like an older brother to me. I've known him forever."  
  
"How come you two move around together?" Sketchy asked. "It's kind of strange to follow your best friend from city to city."  
  
"Brian's dad adopted me when I was ten. When he died we agreed that we wanted to stay together since we're the only family either of us has."  
  
Alex noticed Alec seemed to relax ever so slightly upon hearing her explanation and she wondered if she'd imagined his reaction. If he was still interested in her, he'd done a great job of hiding it all day. He'd been polite but aloof, joking around with the other messengers and flirting with any pretty girl that walked by. After talking to Max and Cindy, Alex had figured out that she was just the latest in a long string of women in his life. While she knew it was irrational, she was still slightly irked at how much of ladies' man Alec apparently was.  
  
'Probably did him a favor bringing him down a few notches,' Alex sniffed to herself, choosing to ignore the jealousy inside of her.  
  
Alec chose that moment to make a particularly difficult shot, the ball rocketing into the pocket with deadly accuracy. Off of Alex's impressed look, Sketchy offered, "He does that all the time. The guy's a friggin' machine. I haven't beat him once."  
  
Alex glanced over to see Alec grinning at the comment. "You're that good, huh?" she asked as he lined up the eight ball.  
  
He paused in his shot to shrug humbly. "Well, I don't like to blow my own horn. . . But I could probably win this game blind folded," he said, his usual cocky self shining through again.  
  
"Really?" Alex commented dryly, finding his self-assurance slightly annoying. She decided on a whim to do something about it. "I bet you ten bucks you can't make this next shot."  
  
Alec raised his eyebrows at her, surprised, then shook his head, "Sorry, sweetheart, I don't steal money from beautiful young ladies."  
  
"Then name your bet," Alex retorted.  
  
He stared at her for a second, then grinned. "Alright. I won't take your money, but *when* I win the bet, I get," he paused, thinking, then said, "a kiss from you." This time Sketchy grinned with him.  
  
Alex pretended to mull over his proposal for a minute. "Okay, but if you miss, you gotta give me more than ten bucks. You have to match whatever you guys were betting on the game."  
  
"Thirty," Sketchy supplied helpfully, not doubting for a second that Alec was going to win and finding it amusing that though the two of them insisted they weren't interested, they were both flirting so obviously.  
  
"Thirty it is then," Alex said, coming around the table to stand beside Alec. "Okay, hot shot, let's see what you got."  
  
Alec hefted the pool cue, "Gotta keep your hands off the merchandise though."  
  
Alex held up her hands in defense with a smile. "I promise I won't a lay finger on you."  
  
Alec eyed her for a second, then shifted the cue and leaned over the table, lining up his shot. Alex leaned down next to him, eyeing his set-up. He flexed his shoulders, extremely conscious of her closeness. He finished lining up the balls and grinned over his shoulder at her. "Get ready to pucker up, sweet lips," he said cheekily.  
  
Alex didn't respond. But just as he drew his arm back to take his shot, she leaned even closer, her lips a fraction of an inch away from his skin and blew her warm breath in his ear.  
  
Alec jumped about a mile, every nerve ending suddenly alive. Sketchy stared in shock as the white ball went straight into the pocket without even touching the eight ball. Alex smiled slightly, pleased with her handiwork.  
  
The three of them stood there staring at the table for a second before Alex turned her head to look at Alec. "That was thirty, right?" 


	4. Wild At Heart

Blood Lust  
  
  
  
Wild At Heart  
  
  
  
Brian knew Alex; he knew her better than she knew herself in some matters. She was his little sister, his friend, his confidante, and his Slayer. While he knew in the grand scheme of things, the Slayer part had to come first in his dealings with her, for the sake of pretty much the entire world, he also knew that he was only human. He would do anything to keep his Lex from coming to harm. Which was why he was watching her tease the man across the room with something akin to concern.  
  
She'd come home that day elated with the news that she'd found work. She'd chattered at him endlessly throughout the afternoon, wheedling him into agreeing to forgo an entire patrol and settle for a quick circuit so they could come to Crash. Brian had eventually given in, telling himself that he was doing it because she needed a night of fun, not because she could melt his resistance with one look from her big blue eyes. Alex's dreams were continuing to haunt her, but they weren't getting any clearer. He knew from his own past experience and his father's, who had been Alex's Watcher before him, that the Slayer's dreams rarely came right out and told her what was wrong. That would be too simple. And nothing in her life was simple.  
  
To anyone else she looked like a vivacious young woman, full of life, but Brian knew better, knew what to look for. He could see the constant tension in her body, the weariness in her movements, the weight on her shoulders. But most of all he could see the sadness in her eyes. Every Slayer carried that sadness; the knowledge that she no longer had the right to call her life her own, to lay down her burden and rest. She was the world's sacrifice and it wouldn't even miss her when she was gone. But Brian would.  
  
Lex didn't have the luxury of normal relationships. Exposing ordinary people to her secret would place them in danger and neither he nor Lex would allow that. Her limited life expectancy also meant that any romantic entanglements were pretty much out of the question. She'd tried to have a few regular relationships at first, but it was too much to ask of someone else. She couldn't tell them about a huge part of her life and the lies she made to cover it up would eventually drive a wedge in between them. After a particularly nasty break up when she was eighteen, Lex had sobbingly sworn to Brian that she was done; from then on she had avoided growing attached to any man. But to Brian's experienced eyes, she appeared to be faltering as she leaned in close to the man across the room.  
  
She'd barely mentioned the guy- Brian was pretty sure his name was Alec- but when she did, she immediately got this look on her face. He knew that look. It was her I'm-thinking-of-doing-something-I-shouldn't-even-be-thinking-of-doing look. Even if she didn't admit it to herself, she was very obviously attracted to this guy. Brian couldn't really blame her either. As far as he could tell, Alec was a pretty good-looking man. Judging from the stares he received from the other female patrons in the bar, Brian figured he had plenty of experience with the gentler sex. Which also concerned Brian. While he was reluctant to see Alex get into any kind of relationship, he most certainly did not want to see her develop feelings for a love-'em-and-leave-'em type of guy.  
  
Sighing internally Brian acknowledged the fact that he really couldn't do anything if she decided to get involved. Instead of continuing to worry about her, he turned back to the women sharing the table with him. He genuinely liked Max and Original Cindy. They were both friendly enough, immediately treating him like an old friend, especially Cindy. From the fifteen minutes they'd been talking, Brian could tell she had a quick wit and a good heart to go along with it. As soon as Alex had left, Cindy had patted the stool next to her, telling him to 'sit his fine black ass down and have a drink'. After that she'd proceeded to command him to tell them 'the whole dealio' with him and Lex.  
  
"So you all just move around the country? Don't you ever wanna lay down some roots, you know, make a home somewhere?" Original Cindy asked after discovering they'd lived in five different cities in the past three years.  
  
Brian shrugged, taking a swig of his beer. "Nah, not really. Lex and I, we're the wandering type. You know, places to see, new things to do." {{More demons to kill}} he added silently to himself. Every city they'd been in had had a serious demon infestation before they'd set up camp there. He found comfort knowing that each city they left, they left it in better shape than when they'd found it.  
  
"You don't ever get lonely?" Max asked, big doe eyes wide as she tried to understand how any one would keep moving when they didn't have to. To her, the ability to settle down and make a life was the biggest symbol of her freedom.  
  
"We've got each other," he said simply.  
  
"So . . . That means your girly-girl don't have some boy toy waitin' for her anywhere?" Original Cindy asked innocently.  
  
Brian laughed. "Oh, Lex's had plenty of 'boy toys', but she's not really a one-man woman. No significant others if that's what you mean. She says a boyfriend weighs her down."  
  
"Hmm," O.C. said, sharing a sly glance with Max. "It's nice to meet a sistah who can give those boys a taste o' their own medicine. It was certainly a treat to see her shoot down our boy over there."  
  
"Who, Alec?" Brian asked surprised.  
  
"Yeah," Max said, a wide grin splitting her face, "She basically told him that he was a really nice person, just not what she had in mind. The look on his face was priceless!" Max laughed into her drink.  
  
O.C. smiled, then said to Brian, "Don't get us wrong, shugah, we don't have it in for the entire male gender or nothin'. Though I do prefer the company of women, but then again, who doesn't? It's just Alec's pretty popular with the ladies and the boy's got a big head. Did him some good for someone to pop his bubble a bit."  
  
Max nodded her agreement, then looked up to see Alec, Sketchy and Alex walking away from the pool table. Alec and Sketchy both looked like they had suffered a minor shock, while Alex sported a smug little smile on her face. They pulled up some chairs and sat down.  
  
Original Cindy made the introductions with Brian, then asked, "What's the matter wit' you two? You look like you've seen a ghost or somethin'."  
  
"I won," Sketchy said in a far off voice.  
  
" 'Scuse me?" Cindy said, regarding him with concern. "Sketchy, how much you had to drink, boy? You ain't never beat Alec."  
  
"I beat him today," Sketchy came out of his stupor, "Or at least, he lost today. He missed the eight ball."  
  
"That true?" Max asked in surprise, "You scratched?"  
  
Alec grunted sourly as he poured himself another beer. Alex hid a grin behind her hand.  
  
"How'd that happen?" O.C. asked.  
  
The three of them shared a look before Alex shrugged, "Guess it was just an off day, huh, Alec?"  
  
He glared at her for a second, then relented and smiled grudgingly. "Guess it was."  
  
O.C. and Max stared at him curiously, knowing how rare it was for him to miss, but Alec avoided their gazes and took a drink instead. He didn't want to admit it, but his skin was still tingling from where Alex had blown on him. He couldn't believe he'd jumped like that. Him, a soldier that was used to bullets whizzing past his cheeks and explosions going off all over the place! If Max found out he'd never live it down.  
  
Brian checked his watch, then looked at Alex. She sighed, but nodded and stood. They'd been at Crash for over an hour and she still needed to do a sweep of sector seven before turning in for the night. She'd found a couple of vamps there every night so far and Brian was convinced they had a nest nearby. Personally Alex thought they just congregated there because most of the clubs left open in Seattle were there and it was an easy place to pick up victims, the fact remained that they were there and it was her job to remove them.  
  
"Goin' already, girly-girl?" Original Cindy asked as the pair stood. Alec straightened and watched her rise.  
  
"Yeah," Alex grinned apologetically. "It's been a long day and we've still got stuff to do at home. I wanna get a good night's sleep. Wouldn't be very impressive if I showed up late for my first full day of work."  
  
"Maybe you could teach my boo here a thing or two 'bout showin' up on time," O.C. said, nudging Max who grinned sheepishly.  
  
"It was nice meeting you all," Brian said, pushing his chair in.  
  
"You guys should come back. We hang out here pretty much every night." Sketchy said.  
  
The two shared a glance and Alex smiled, pleased to have the branch of friendship extended. "We will," she said. "Night everyone."  
  
She got a chorus of good night's back and turned to leave. As she moved through the crowd she felt the weight of two eyes burning a hole in her back. Original Cindy and Max shared another smile as Alec followed her out with his eyes.  
  
* * * *   
  
Across town in sector nine a young punk rocker drunkenly stumbled against the girl who'd picked him up at the club in sector seven. He threw an arm around her shoulder and nuzzled her neck, but she barely paid attention to him. She'd started to move with more purpose as soon as they'd past the sector gates, pulling him along forcefully at times.  
  
She pulled away as the man tried to push her up against a nearby abandoned building. "Hey baby, where we goin'?" He asked blearily, slowly following her. "Why don' we just stop here? I'm sure we could make each other very comfortable," he leered drunkenly at her turned back.  
  
The girl didn't even look over her shoulder, just continued stalking down the road. "Just a bit further honey. Then I'll show you something you've never seen before."  
  
The drunken clubber blinked, looking around him. Where the hell they were going he had no idea. This part of sector nine had been abandoned for the past six years. There was nothing here but a bunch of empty, run down buildings. His inebriated mind was just beginning to wonder what exactly it was she was going to show him when she turned down a dark alley way.  
  
The girl walked up to a big steel door in the side of a large building, banging hard a couple of times. The door swung open just as her companion caught up. A pair of large, forbidding looking men stood in the shadows inside of the door, staring blankly at them.  
  
"Kris'tual," she snapped, reaching out to grab the drunken man's arm with talon-like fingers. "He's with me."  
  
The two men nodded, then stepped aside as the girl pulled the guy along with her. She led him stumbling down a long flight of stairs. He blinked a few times, trying to see ahead, but the stairwell was almost completely dark. He had no idea how she could see her way down the stairs.  
  
"Hey," he said, trying to slow down, "Where are we-" He cut off as they turned a corner and were suddenly bathed in pulsing lights. For a second he thought the flashing colors were playing tricks with his eyes, but the scene before him didn't change. He heard the girl behind him laughing as if from a far distance. "Oh, God," he whispered, taking a step back and bumping into her. Terror struck, he couldn't move any further; not even when he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He couldn't move even when darkness began to over take the flashing lights and the coldness began to creep up his body. 


	5. I Only Have Eyes For You

Blood Lust  
  
  
  
I Only Have Eyes For You  
  
  
  
The next few weeks passed quickly for Alex. She settled easily into Seattle and the new life she had there. Jam Pony was all right so far as work places go. Normal, much to her dismay, was an uptight asshole most of the time. The few good points she'd scored the first time she'd met him had apparently been lost when she started hanging out regularly with Max, O.C. and Sketchy. She didn't know why, but he seemed to take particular delight in torturing those three out of all of his employees.  
  
In fact, the only person he was ever nice to was Alec. Sketchy filled her in on the fact that Normal was a huge cage-fight fan and that Alec used to be the best cage fighter around before he quit and came to Jam Pony. Alex had been surprised to hear that; Alec was in good shape, and certainly a treat to look at, but Alex had seen some cage fighters in her past. Hell, she'd even fought a few herself. They didn't mess around. Most of those guys fought for a living and it showed. They were either immensely big or they were trained in some kind of fighting style to give them an edge. Alex figured Alec, with his lean figure, must fit into the latter category and, now that she was looking for it, she could tell by the way he moved that he had a trained fighter's grace and sense of balance.  
  
But that was her problem right there; the fact that she was looking in the first place. She still couldn't stop thinking about him, even though a month had past since their first 'encounter'. Neither of them had brought up the subject since then and neither of them made a move to push their 'friendship' into new territory. They spent time together outside of work, but it was usually in a group. But at least once every day Alex would catch herself eyeing Alec's chest as he lifted his bike onto a rack or wishing it were her hands running through his hair when he tried to straighten it in the mirror in his locker.  
  
It was bad enough that she still felt this urge for him, but she had a nagging suspicion that he knew she did. She didn't hang out with him as much as she did Original Cindy and Max, but every time they met, he'd do something. Sometimes he'd make a comment that, taken out of context, could mean something entirely different and she'd flush slightly. Whether out of embarrassment or desire, she didn't know. Sometimes he'd be talking to her and his eyes would never leave her face, but he'd be staring at her lips, not her eyes. And sometimes when he needed to get by her in a tight hallway, he would forgo asking her to move and just squeeze around. Once when she'd been at Normal's desk picking up some packages, she'd turned around to discover him standing right behind her, close enough for her to feel his breath on her face. He'd locked eyes with her and leaned even closer and her breath had stopped, thinking he was going to kiss her, right there in front of everybody. And part of her thrilled at the thought. But he just reached over and picked something up from behind her. "Pen," he'd said by way of explanation, a small smile on his face and then he'd taken a step back and she'd come back to herself.  
  
The one thing that had changed was she no longer thought about him while on patrol. She was too busy to think of anything but the task at hand. Seattle had a thriving demonic community, which was not unexpected. Demons delighted in pain, chaos and misery and ever since the Pulse there had been plenty in all the big cities in America.  
  
Alex was kept active fighting a slew of monsters, but they were all fairly minor demons. While they were still deadly and dangerous, none of the creatures she'd come across so far had either the strength or the cunning to set up something so threatening that the Powers would intervene and send her the dreams she'd had. And those weren't getting any clearer either. In fact, she reflected one evening as she shoved her stuff back into her locker as she called it a day, they weren't contributing anything at all to her search for the Big Bad in town. Which was really annoying.  
  
With her enhanced senses, she heard the others before she saw them round the corner. Original Cindy and Max came first, smiling when they saw her already at the lockers. Alec and Sketchy were a little bit behind, laughing about something, but they nodded hello too.  
  
"Hey Alex," Sketchy said, coming to lean on the lockers beside her. He was wearing some ridiculous hat and a pair of tinted sunglasses he insisted were cool. "You're coming tonight, right?"  
  
"Coming where?" she asked.  
  
"To Isis, a club in sector seven. It's supposed to be a really rocking joint. We're all meeting up there at about nine. Should be fun," He added in a cajoling tone of voice when he saw the hesitation on her face.  
  
"I dunno, I got a lot of stuff to take care of over the weekend," she trailed off.  
  
"C'mon, girly girl, like the man said, it'll be fun," Original Cindy jumped in, throwing an arm around her waist. " 'Sides, with all of us workin' double time this week 'cause of Jim home with the flu, we deserve a night on the town. We can wind down, loosen up, and maybe," she added with a wink, "find some cute brother to put a smile on your face."  
  
Max nodded in agreement. "And you know Cindy's gonna find some hot girl with legs from here to there and I could not stand being left alone with these two all night," Max motioned to Alec and Sketchy, who rolled their eyes at her.  
  
"Well, when you put it that way," Alex acquiesced with a laugh. "But only to save Max from a night of torture."  
  
"You're so good to me," Max teased, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "I've got some stuff to take care of, so I'll meet you guys there, 'kay?"  
  
Alex bent over and picked up her bag too. "I'm going to jet, too. I'll get ready and meet you guys at the club."  
  
"I'll call your cell and give you directions," O.C. said, waving goodbye.  
  
  
* * * *  
  
The club was packed, but Alex still had some breathing room while wandering around the dance floor looking for her friends. She'd managed to get there around ten o'clock, in spite of some unscheduled slayage. Running a hand over her hair, reassuring herself that was all still caught up in her clip, she re-adjusted her halter nervously. Though she'd die before admitting it to anyone, including herself, Alex wanted to knock Alec flat tonight. Which was why she was wearing a pair of tight pants and a tight black halter that showed off her back and chest to equal advantage. While it hadn't been the most comfortable outfit to slay vampires in, a girl had to be willing to sacrifice a little to be the sexiest bitch in the place.  
  
After wandering around half the club, Alex finally spotted O.C. at the bar along side the far wall. She approached and yelled a greeting over the music. "Hey Cindy. Why're you alone?"  
  
"Hey girly girl," Cindy smiled, turning to face her. "Max decided to hang at Logan's for a while, Sketchy's bustin' a move on the dance floor and Alec is seriously tryin' to swallow some girl's face on the dance floor." Actually, Max was on a mission for Eyes Only, but O.C. wasn't about to break down Max's dealio for Alex, no matter how much she liked the girl. Besides, she seemed much more interested in the last part of that sentence.  
  
Alex turned around, a flash of irrational jealousy rushing through her system. It only took a moment for her to spot him, attached to some blonde ditz. Cindy hadn't been exaggerating; the two of them appeared to be trying to suck each other's lips off. Alex's eyes narrowed slightly as she saw Alec's hand slip beneath the waist of the girl's pants.  
  
Cindy was watching her carefully. "If I was you, I'd go over there and put the smack down on that ho's ass."  
  
Alex plastered an ironclad mask of nonchalance on her face and turned her back to the intimate display on the dance floor. "Why? Isn't as if I care that she's acting skankish."  
  
Original Cindy rolled her eyes. "Girl, when are you gonna stop frontin'? You been jonesin' for Alec ever since you met him. And I know he thinks you're just as fine."  
  
"I'm not interested. I don't get involved with co-workers." Alex's tone was flat, but her face plainly showed the lie.  
  
"Whatever," Cindy sighed, catching the eye of a pretty Asian chick beckoning her onto the dance floor. "If you want Original Cindy's advice, just jump him. You want to get all hot and heavy, the boy ain't gonna say no and who said anything about getting involved? Alec's all about one night stands." She turned, "You okay if I go join that fine sistah on the floor?"  
  
"Hmm? Yeah, don't worry about me," Alex said, still somewhat shaken that Cindy had noticed how attracted she was to Alec. She'd always thought she was subtler than that. She looked back over to see Alec's girl groping his ass and felt her stomach tighten. {{Fuck it,}} she thought to herself and walked over to grab one of the guy's farther down the bar who'd been checking her out. Alec wasn't the only one who could have some fun.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alec wasn't sure what it was that made him look up from his ministrations to the girl's neck, but he was sorry he had. Alex was walking away from the bar leading some punk by the hand, throwing a stunning smile over her shoulder at him. Her hips sashayed enticingly from side to side, every detail visible to his enhanced eyes. She must have just arrived if he was only noticing her now. The two of them disappeared into the dancing throng and Alec unconsciously craned his neck to catch one last glance of her. Unfortunately he wasn't really paying attention to his movements and the girl in his arms jumped slightly when he stepped on her foot.  
  
"Sorry," he murmured when she looked up at him in reproach and then flashed her a killer smile. But it didn't work as well as it usually did.  
  
She pushed out her bottom lip, pouting up at him. "That's not good enough. I saw you."  
  
"Saw me what?" Alec asked, rubbing suggestively against her, trying to forget about Alex.  
  
"I saw you looking at that other girl," she accused, fake annoyance written across her face. They both knew that she didn't really care that he'd been checking someone else out, but she wanted to play the game of caring.  
  
Alec was well versed in the rules and he nuzzled her neck, nipping her earlobe as he whispered, "Nah, baby, you've got it all wrong. How could I even think of another woman while you're here?"  
  
She giggled and rewarded his efforts with a friendly grope that made him stifle a groan. Without another word they returned to their previous activities. But Alec couldn't help glancing every so often in the direction Alex had gone. Every so often the crowd would part and she'd be revealed to him amidst a swirl of brightly-clad bodies. Her original dance partner was no where to be seen, but she wasn't lacking for companionship. A small group of men had gathered around her, all attempting to get her attention.  
  
Jealousy tensed Alec's muscles and he tried to relax and shove the feeling away. He'd just succeeded in pushing it down, when he noticed one of the guys dancing with Alex was trying to get a little friendlier. He could see her shaking her head at her pursuer, who was at least twice her body mass and a veritable mountain of muscle and then she turned to walk away. The man, unwilling to let her go, reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her flush up against him.  
  
Alec pulled back as the girl tried to kiss him again. He reached up and disentangled her arms from around his neck brusquely. "Hey-" she started to object angrily, but he was already moving. He shoved his way through the crowd without thought for the other dancers and came up behind Mountain Man in time to hear him say, "C'mon, baby, we can have some fun."  
  
"The lady said no," Alec said in a loud clear voice. The hulk in front of him turned his head to stare at him but didn't let go of Alex, who was staring at Alec with something akin to helplessness. While he assumed she was merely frightened, Alex was actually tied up in knots with the knowledge that she could deal with this guy on her own, but now Alec was going to get hurt trying to 'save' her from this walking pile of steroids.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Mountain growled, tightening his grip on Alex's biceps and pulling her closer. She grimaced in distaste but didn't pull away for fear of drawing attention to her less than normal strength.  
  
Alec's jaw tensed, but his voice was deadly calm. "I'm a friend of hers and I'd advise taking your hands off of her. Now."  
  
"Oh, yeah?" the man laughed, turning completely to face Alec. "And what're you gonna do if I don't, huh pretty boy?"  
  
"This." Nobody even saw him move. Alec blurred forward, ramming his left fist into the guy's stomach and grabbing the hand holding onto Alex with his right. He gripped the man's wrist and squeezed hard. The man cried out in pain and his muscles spasmed, releasing Alex. Alec then twisted the man around and pulled his arm up behind his back, bringing him up on his toes. He stopped just short of breaking the bone. Alex gaped at him in surprise.  
  
"Now," he growled in the man's ear, his grip on the man's arm tightening fractionally. "You're going to apologise."  
  
"S-s-sorry, man. I didn't know she was your girl!" Mountain gasped in a high pitch voice, tears of pain welling in his eyes.  
  
"Not to me, you idiot. To her."  
  
The man hesitated and Alec flexed his arm. "Sorry!" he yelped. "I'm sorry for bothering you."  
  
Alec looked over at Alex and it took her a moment to come out of her awed stupor and realise he was waiting for her decision. She shrugged, still shocked at how well he had handled himself. "Whatever. Just. . . Get out."  
  
Alec suddenly released his hold on Mountain Man and shoved him away into the crowd. The man stumbled, but didn't stop moving as he quickly disappeared into the crowd that had formed a small circle around the show. People slowly returned to their own affairs, somewhat disappointed at not being witness to further excitement. Alec turned back around and nearly ran right into Alex. She stood barely a foot away from him, hand on hip, staring up at him with pursed lips. Alec was about to say something, but before he could open his mouth, she punched him on the arm.  
  
"Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his arm. Hell, she hit pretty damn hard for a girl. "What was that for?"  
  
"That was for doing something incredibly stupid and making me worry! I thought that guy was going to squish you like a bug!" she said, still glaring at him but not making any move to back up and give him some personal space.  
  
"Well, it's nice to know you think I'm so tough, but that guy was no trouble," he replied, sarcasm in his voice but bemusement on his face. Women really would take any opportunity to tell you what you did wrong.  
  
She sniffed. "Yeah, I figured that part out after you nearly snapped him in half." She paused, then added quickly, "I could've dealt with him on my own, you know."  
  
"Sure you could've." Alec decided it was best to play along and soothe her ego rather than risk another punch to the arm. The first one really had hurt. Maybe he was getting soft out here in the real world.  
  
"Still," she said, glancing up at him, "It was nice of you to jump in like that, so. . . Thanks."  
  
He grinned down at her. "Graciousness really isn't your forte, is it?"  
  
She smiled back. "Usually other people are the ones thanking me," she replied honestly. "I don't usually get a chance to have someone stand up for me."  
  
He wondered for a second what kind of life she'd led before coming to Seattle if she'd been so alone, but all he said out loud was, "Well, that's what friends are for, right?"  
  
She blinked at him, then suddenly seemed to realise how close they were standing together, and she cleared her throat as she stepped back. "Yeah. Friends," she smiled wanly up at him.  
  
Alec mentally kicked himself. Here he was, in the perfect set up after coming to her rescue, and he had to go and remind her about her whole 'let's just be friends' thing. He racked his brain for a way to return to the intimacy they'd had just a moment ago, but came up blank. Staring down at her as she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, he felt an impulse to concoct a scheme to spend some time with her and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Coffee?"  
  
She stared at him quizzically. "Coffee?"  
  
{{Great, Alec, really original.}} He hurried to complete his thought. "I mean, would you like to drink? Coffee, that is. With me. Somewhere that's not. . . here." She stared up at him, then burst out laughing. He winced, "Okay, not the most articulate I've ever been."  
  
She waved her hand dismissively, still giggling. "S'okay. I think I got the gist of it."  
  
"I'm just kinda tired of the noise and I thought maybe you'd like to go somewhere a little quieter. As friends," he finished with a small teasing smile when he saw her hesitate.  
  
She returned his smile, then nodded. "Yeah, that'd be nice."  
  
"Alright then," he said. She stared at him for a moment as he just stood there and then he jumped. "Right. Let's go then," Alec motioned for her to go ahead of him and he followed behind her, cursing himself for suddenly turning into a bumbling idiot and absently wondering why the hell his stomach was tingly. It was understandable that he couldn't place the feeling; after all, it wasn't often a specially trained, genetically designed super being experienced nervousness outside of a life or death situation.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Okay, R & R, blah, blah, etc. In the next chapter, "Who Are You?" Alex's prophetic dreams begin to warn her about the truth about Alec and Max. 


	6. Who Are You?

Thanks to everybody that's been reviewing. It's great getting feedback! Just a side note; I don't know how to use italics when posting text, so everything with {{. . .}} around it is a character's thoughts and everything in between @---@---@---@ is a dream sequence. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
Blood Lust  
  
  
  
Who Are You?  
  
  
  
  
Brian clenched and unclenched his shoulders again and again as he stood staring out the window from his post in the dark living room. He'd been standing there for over an hour even though it was the middle of the night and the pouring rain made even a glimpse of the moon impossible. Alex was out on her rounds by herself. She'd insisted that he stay home after working over time at the docks. Now, contemplating the weather outside, he wished he had gone with her, sore muscles or no. The rain would cut down both visibility and mess up her kinesthetic sixth sense. The slippery surfaces would make traction more tenuous and the constant pounding of rain could drown out approaching footsteps, not to mention the water would help wash away the smell of decay that often warned the Slayer of the undead.  
  
He sighed to himself as his mind continued to come up with possible problems the rain presented. He did this too often. He worried excessively about Alex instead of concentrating on the ways he could actually help her. He remembered his father had once told him that worry would be his life-long companion. He had said that when you took the vows of a Watcher, it was much like becoming a parent to a rebellious teenager. You were the guardian of a charge you had no real power over. Yet still you had to find some way to give the Slayer a sense of order, discipline and direction. Being a Watcher wasn't all just researching and recording demons. It even went beyond merely training the Slayer in battle. Every Slayer had a Watcher, one man or woman who was their only companion, the only person who, while they would not always be in the thick of things, would always be a short distance away, ready to help. Personally Brian thought that was the most important thing a Watcher had to offer his Slayer; the knowledge that she was not alone.  
  
The creak of floorboards in the hallway brought him out of his reverie and he listened to the sound of keys in the lock without turning around. Alex paused in the doorway when she saw him outlined in the window, then quietly shut the door behind her as she slipped her shoes off. He only turned when he heard her hiss slightly as she lifted her bag full of weapons onto the table in the small kitchen.  
  
He approached her quickly with a questioning look, but she waved him off and sank into the dilapidated couch in the middle of the room. "It's nothing," she said with a strained smile as she stiffly sank into the cushions. "Just some bruised ribs."  
  
He looked at her closely in the dim lighting. She was drenched to the bone, blonde hair hanging limply around her face. She had a light bruise on her right cheek and despite her claims of relative health she was gently probing her own side, checking for broken bones. She let her hands drop when she found nothing and Brian sat down next to her.  
  
"Rough night?" he asked quietly, wrapping an arm around her, offering her the warmth of his body. She pulled her feet up and tucked them under her body. They sat like this all the time, ever since she'd first been called. That night, after she'd learned of her destiny, he had offered her not his body heat, but a shoulder to cry on as she wept for all her lost hopes and dreams.  
  
She leaned into him now, resting her head on his shoulder, "The roughest."  
  
"Anything out of the ordinary?"  
  
"No," she shifted slightly enjoying the comforting presence of love she felt whenever he held her like this. "Just a couple of vampires. Nothing major, I just got careless and let one sneak up behind me with a plank of wood. Lucky for me the idiot nailed me in the side and not the skull."  
  
He frowned slightly. "What made you careless?"  
  
She was quiet and he sensed the tension in her body. "No particular reason," she said lightly after a moment. "Guess I'm just tired."  
  
He absently rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "You sure you weren't thinking about something other than the vampire?" he asked quietly. "Maybe about work. . . or Alec?"  
  
She sighed and pulled away from him, slowly standing up. "No," she replied, knowing even as she said the words that Brian could see right through her lies. "I wasn't thinking about Alec or anything else. I was just a little off tonight." She shrugged. "It happens."  
  
He remained silent for a moment, staring at her with dark eyes hooded with concern. She turned away, uncomfortable with his silent appraisal, but then he spoke.  
  
"What's going on Lex?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" She asked, pretending ignorance. He didn't buy it.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about, Lexie. What's going on with you and Alec?" He waited for minute but she wouldn't look him in the eye, so he continued. "You talk about him all the time and you've been spending more time with him-"  
  
"We're friends, Bri," she interrupted, tension outlined in her body. "Friends tend to spend time together, it's what they do."  
  
"I've seen the way you two look at each other," he said quietly, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees. "You're not friends. I don't need to ask that. I know you're interested, I'm just wondering how you're interested in him."  
  
She stared at him, confused. "What do you mean, 'how I'm interested in him'?"  
  
"Do you love him or are you just in lust with him?" Brian asked bluntly.  
  
She stared at him in surprise and a small laugh escaped her lips, but there was no real humor in it. "Of course I'm not in love with him." He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed, suddenly tired of the conversation. She crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Listen, Brian, you don't have to worry. Alec's nice; he's very nice actually. And I don't know, maybe in another dimension, we could've had something." She looked him in the eye, face set in an impenetrable mask, "But not in this dimension. You don't have to play the part of my conscience here. I know I can't be with anyone."  
  
He stood and gently pulled her into his arms. She resisted for a minute, angry that he'd brought up such a sore subject, but then she let him hug her. He pulled back and lightly kissed her forehead. "Hey," he whispered, tilting her chin up so he could look her in the eye. "I'm sorry, okay Lexie? I just worry about you, that's all. I don't want to see you hurt."  
  
She nodded and said simply, "I know." She forced a tiny smile onto her lips and pulled back. "I'm gonna go take a shower and hit the sack. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
"Yeah," he replied quietly, staring into space as she left the room. "See you in the morning."   
  
* * * *   
  
The water rained down on her, great billowing clouds of steam filling the small bathroom. She hissed slightly at the heat, but remained under the showerhead for a few more minutes, allowing the pelting water to wash away some of the tension and fatigue that had taken up permanent residence in her body. Finally the water began to cool and she opened her eyes reluctantly, reaching over and turning it off. She grabbed a towel of the rack and quickly dried off before stepping out of the stall. She was about to wrap the towel around her body when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. She turned to face it full on and stood on tiptoe to see the reflection of her stomach. The entire left side of her abdomen was tinted blue and purple. She winced; just looking at it hurt. She carefully wrapped the towel around herself and ventured into the cold air in the rest of the apartment.  
  
Brian had already gone to bed, so Alex made her way to her room in silence. Once inside she changed into one of Brian's old dress shirts instead of one of the t-shirts she usually slept in. After the agony of getting out of her shirt before the shower, she didn't plan on lifting her arms over her head for a couple of hours at least. She combed out her hair quickly and crawled into bed, gently settling down on her uninjured side. Curling up into a ball, she pulled the blankets up to her chin, burrowing into their warmth. Closing her eyes, she wished the entire world would just fall away. After a few minutes her breathing slowed and she got her wish.  
  
@---@---@--@  
  
"Wake up, wake up," the voice was low but persistent. Alex slowly blinked and opened her eyes to find Alec leaning over her, gently brushing her hair out of her eyes. His clear green eyes closed slightly as he leaned down and brushed her forehead with his lips. She sighed happily and sank deeper into the bed, unwilling to leave the warmth his body offered, but he didn't let her stay there. "Wake up, soldier. Everyone's waiting for you."  
  
She groaned and pushed the blankets down to stare at the clock on the bedside table. She squinted at the glowing red numbers that read 7:03 am. "It's so early," she moaned, turning back to face him.  
  
"It's later than you think," he smiled down at her, long lashes shadowing his eyes. She couldn't help but smile back at him and she reached up to trace his jaw with her fingers. He leaned into her touch, but his eyes never left her face. "You're not supposed to be here you know."  
  
She sighed and dropped the hand caressing his face to grasp his. "I know," she said in a small voice, sadness creeping over her. She had the feeling in her stomach that she was supposed to be somewhere important, she was supposed to be doing something. She could almost feel something physically pulling at her, trying to get her out of the bed. Her eyes fell on the door and a sense of foreboding washed over her. "Alec?"  
  
He didn't answer her, he just continued to stare at her, waiting.  
  
"What's out there?" she asked, trying to shrink into his protective presence. She glanced up at him and he shrugged his shoulders gracefully.  
  
"Everyone's waiting for you," he repeated and she held his gaze, confusion furrowing her brow. The doorway seemed to grow darker at the edge of her vision and cold was slowly seeping in under the covers. Alec didn't seem to notice, but Alex shivered as she eyed the wooden barricade separating her room from everything else. Slowly she sat up, the covers pooling around her waist. She swung her legs around and stood, never taking her eyes off the door. Alec watched her go without a word. The wooden floors were freezing and stung her feet and her breath formed clouds of condensation in front of her face. She approached the door cautiously, watching as it grew and darkened the closer she came. She reached out for the handle, but stopped just short of it as she felt the cold emanating from it hit her skin. She looked over her shoulder at Alec, who she could tell was still warm despite the dropping temperature around him. For a second she considered turning around and crawling back into bed with him, but they were waiting for her. She reached out, turned the knob and stepped through the doorway.  
  
Crash was full of people as usual, but it was strangely silent. Alex turned in a slow circle, her shirt falling to her mid-thighs. The door had vanished behind her. Most of the occupants were bathed in shadows, but she could make out familiar faces here and there. Sketchy by the bar, Max and Alec at the pool table and Original Cindy at a table to her right.  
  
Alex slowly wandered through Crash, studying everything around her. When she reached Sketchy he gave her a weird look. "Why are you in costume?" he asked.  
  
Alex stared at him, uncomprehending, then glanced down to find herself in a short sundress with a pair of feminine sandals. She raised her head, "I have to hide."  
  
Sketchy shook his head, then smiled at her. "There, that's better," he said, looking at her outfit once more. She was now dressed in combat fatigues with a small crossbow strapped on her back. "No more camouflage. Just you."  
  
She picked at the battle gear with one hand, wishing she could put on her dress again but knowing it no longer belonged to her. Sketchy stared over her shoulder, then asked, "So, are they monsters too?"  
  
Her brow furrowed and she turned to find him staring at Max and Alec as they played pool. They were dressed in gray and black army attire with black barcodes tattooed across their foreheads. When one was taking a turn, the other would stand at attention, holding the pool cue like a rifle, eyes staring forward blankly.  
  
Alex walked towards them, Sketchy forgotten behind her. They paid no attention as she approached, studying them carefully. She stopped and watched them play for a second, then asked simply, "Who are you?"  
  
Max straightened from her shot and stood tall with Alec beside her. They answered her in one voice. "We are the forsaken."  
  
@---@---@---@  
  
Alex walked into Crash the next morning feeling as if she'd been hit by a Mac truck. Not only was her side still killing her, her dreams had kept her tossing and turning all night. She remembered all of them, but as usual had little idea what they meant. Especially now that they no longer seemed concerned with whatever evil was residing in Seattle. Alex was certain that her dream with Alec and Max in it had been one of her prophetic ones, but she had no idea why the hell the Powers would send her a message concerning two bike messengers.  
  
Sketchy came bounding up to her as she made her way to her locker. "Hey Alex, look at this," he said excitedly, holding out a newspaper to her.  
  
She took it and read out loud, "New information on identifying the mutant wave- genetic tattoos." She eyed Sketchy sideways. "Please tell me you don't buy this bullshit."  
  
He looked offended and took the paper from her. "This isn't bullshit, man," he said, "There've been eye witness reports of mutants. People are seeing monsters all over the city. And now," he brandished the paper, "we know there are marks to identify them with."  
  
"Right. Just one question, Sketch; if these things look like monsters, don't you think you'd be able to tell they're mutants without checking for a tattoo?"  
  
"Hmm," Sketchy looked deflated for minute, "good point. Hey!" He brightened. "Maybe they don't all look like monsters. Maybe some of them look just like you and me."  
  
"And maybe," she said, matching his excited tone with her own as she reached her locker, "they're actually little green men from Mars come down to give us the lost eleventh commandment. Thou shalt not read stupid tabloids."  
  
"Whatever," Sketchy rolled his eyes at her and wandered off. Alex shook her head as he left, wondering how many times his mother had dropped him on his head as a child. She began getting her stuff from her locker and returned to pondering her strange dreams.  
  
She didn't notice Max and Original Cindy until O.C. waved a hand in front of her face. "Mission control to Alex." She jerked in surprise and Original Cindy and Max gave her concerned looks. "You a'ight, girly girl?" Cindy asked.  
  
"Yeah, fine. Sorry 'bout that. Just got caught up thinking. It's a bad habit I have," she joked lightly.  
  
Cindy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her as Max said bluntly, "You look like crap. Did you sleep at all last night?"  
  
Alex shrugged, "Bad dreams, that's all. But thanks for the compliment." Max grinned at her, then gasped as Alex reached up to grab her gloves from the top shelf of her locker. "Oh my God, what happened?"  
  
Alex realized her shirt had come up, exposing her injured side and she quickly lowered her arm, but Cindy stopped her and pulled the fabric aside to reveal a dark bruise the size of a football. "Jesus, girl, looks like you got the smack down put on your ass!"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing," Alex stammer, trying to come up with a believable lie quickly. "I just, um, was twisting around a lot last night, because of my nightmares and I fell of bed. I hit the nightstand on my way to the floor." She laughed half-heartedly, "Got myself pretty good, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty good," Original Cindy said, eyeing her doubtfully. She was about to continue when Normal's strident voice provided a timely distraction.  
  
"Hey, this isn't a social club people! These babies need to be delivered to their lucky mommies and daddies. Now bip, bip, bip!"  
  
"What a moron," Max grumbled, but turned to go with Original Cindy. "Well, better start working before Normal cans my ass. Take it easy, okay?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah," Alex replied dazedly, staring at Max with a strange look. Max returned her gaze before mentally shrugging and following Original Cindy to the desk to pick up some packages. Alex probably just needed a good night's rest.  
  
Alex stood frozen in place for a minute, staring off into space. {{Oh my God oh my God oh my God,}} her mind raced a mile a minute. {{No, no, I'm imagining things. I'm really tired and my eyes are playing tricks on me. I mean, come on, this is Max we're talking about.}}  
  
Suddenly a thought occurred to her and she came out of her trance, looking around the room. She spotted Alec standing over at the benches talking to Sketchy and a couple of other guys. Alex quickly shut her locker and made her way up behind him, being careful not to be noticed by Alec or any of his companions. She crept up to a cement pillar a few feet behind him and cautiously peered around the corner at him. Her eyes widened and her breath flew out of her as if someone had just kicked her in the stomach.  
  
Beneath the brown fringe of hair on the back of his neck was a stark black barcode, just like the one Max had revealed on her neck when she had swung her head round to look at Normal.  
  
  
  
  
Next chapter: "Listening to Fear". Max and Original Cindy begin to worry about Alex's numerous injuries. 


	7. Listening To Fear

Thanks for the awesome reviews everybody, I really appreciate it. I've had a sinus infection all week, but this has been at least one bright spot for me. I have a question for the readers out there who watch Buffy too: Anybody noticed anything about the chapter titles?  
  
  
Blood Lust  
  
  
Listening to Fear  
  
  
  
The wind lashed at her cheeks, stealing her breath and lending a bright pink tint to her cheeks, but Alex barely noticed its bite as she pedaled mechanically down the street. Her mind was racing so fast she passed the address she was supposed to deliver the package to twice; once on the way there and again when she backtracked after realizing she'd gone too far. She barely saw the woman who answered the door and would have forgotten to get a signature if the woman herself hadn't noticed the clipboard and asked about it. There was no room in Alex's brain for such mundane details; she was too busy trying to figure out the mystery that was Max and Alec.  
  
She had been surprised at finding the barcodes on their necks, but not entirely shocked. Life as the Slayer had made it damn near impossible to shock her anymore. And after her dream the previous night, a part of her had known something was going to happen concerning Max and Alec. She just hadn't expected this. Hell, she didn't know what she'd expected.  
  
After she'd seen the barcode on Alec's neck, she had stood frozen for a few minutes before Normal had noticed that one of his employees was standing still. His bellow had brought her out of her trance with a jump and within seconds Alex had found herself laden down with multiple packages and a parting "bip bip bip" as Normal practically chased her out the door. As she'd left she'd felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she'd looked over her shoulder to find Alec staring at her with an unreadable expression. At that point Normal hadn't had to chase her anymore; she'd pretty much run out.  
  
The initial surprise had worn off after a little while and now, finished with her runs, Alex was pretty certain she knew what was going on. And all she could say was that it was amazing Sketchy was actually right for once.  
  
On her lunch break she had stopped by a newsstand and picked up a local tabloid paper with the words MUTANT THREAT printed across the front. Despite what she'd said to Sketchy earlier about the 'bullshit' the tabloids printed, she knew from personal experience that they were more often closer to the truth than all the well-respected newspapers put together. Alex had always wondered whether each tabloid employed a spy in the demon underworld; their information about 'sludge monsters', etc. was a little too accurate to be complete conjecture. And after seeing the tattoos on her friends' necks this morning, Alex was fairly certain the tabloids were onto something real with the transgenic stories they were running.  
  
She'd scanned the paper thoroughly, skipping over the sensational parts and concentrating on the bare facts she could pick out, such as the fact that transgenics were purported to have barcodes tattooed somewhere on their bodies. The article was mainly concerned with the more monstrous looking mutants, but after a long ramble about a reported half-man half-dog creature, the article did mention the rumor that there were normal looking transgenics as well.  
  
Alex could also recall at least two Eyes Only broadcasts she'd seen about transgenics and something called Manticore. From her studies, Alex knew this to be a vicious man-eating monster with Eastern origins, but she doubted that was the Manticore in question. She had briefly wondered why Eyes Only had apparently decided to champion the transgenic cause to the people of Seattle, but Alex had a certain respect for the man. While she didn't know how much good he actually accomplished, at least someone was trying to fight the corruption that had spread like a plague after the Pulse.  
  
Which led to the basic question of good and evil. The articles and general feelings among those people who believed in transgenics were that they were monsters, sub-humans, but Alex had experience with monsters. She'd seen things that were forever burned into her mind, come across creatures that she never could have dreamed up in her worst nightmares. She knew evil, knew the way it thought, the way it felt. And she knew Max and Alec. They did not feel like evil.  
  
Sure, Alec affected her with his mere presence and even Max had occasionally popped up on her 'spider-sense' radar. The way they sometimes moved, their body language, would occasionally betray them as something beyond ordinary, but they were so practiced at blending in that they rarely slipped up, so Alex had always written her observations off as mistakes. But now she realized that she had sensed something different about them. But that was all. Just something different. Not evil, not unnatural, just different. And it was her instinct more than any information she'd gathered from the tabloids and Eyes Only that told her to leave Max and Alec in peace.  
  
She didn't know a lot about where transgenics had come from, or what they were exactly, but she was smart enough to realize that they were now hiding. Rumors had them running from the government, but Alex had never really cared for authority figures. They were too often wrong to be trusted. So she had no qualms about letting her friends stay hidden from the law. In fact, she decided to not even reveal to them that she knew their secret. She didn't know how they would react to her knowledge and she didn't want to scare them off, or worse, scare them into attacking. Not that she'd blame them for assuming the worst of her. Even people as sweetly naïve as Sketchy were ready to accept the idea that transgenics were evil, but she certainly wasn't going to lay down and let them take her out if they perceived her to be a threat to their safety. So she would remain silent and add one more secret to the pile she carried around inside of her.  
  
Alex felt tension she hadn't even noticed start to drain from her body once she came to a decision. While she often deliberated back and forth on issues, once she made a firm decision a sense of calm always came over her. She had committed herself to a course of action and all there was left to do was see what decision it would lead her to next.  
  
Glancing down at her watch, Alex was surprised to see it was just before seven. She turned her bike around and began heading back to Jam Pony, stopping impatiently as a moving truck pulled out across the road in front of her, effectively blocking off all traffic for a minute. Glancing around she noticed two sector cops talking a little bit away, decked out in the full riot gear that was now standard issue for every officer in the big cities. It wasn't the cops themselves that stopped her from moving on as the truck finished turning, but the subject of their conversation.  
  
"-Finally found that kid we've been lookin' for, over in a dumpster in sector nine," one officer was saying to his co-worker.  
  
"Yeah? The one that went missing at that club?" his companion asked, sipping a coffee.  
  
" 'One' of the ones that have gone missing at a club," the first officer replied grimly. "There's been a real rise in disappearances in sector seven over the past few months. All those kids at those clubs, don't pay attention to who they're with or what's going on until it's too late."  
  
"Well, at least one set of parents will get some sort of peace from being able to set up a proper tombstone instead of putting up missing posters for the rest of their lives," the second cop shrugged, hardened to the idea of murdered kids.  
  
"Yeah," the first cop answered, beginning to walk off out of hearing range, "at least they get to bury the corpse."  
  
As they moved away Alex slowly started biking again, turning their conversation over in her mind. There was nothing unusual about what they'd said; murders and disappearances were common occurrences in Seattle. Yet while she'd been eavesdropping her spider sense had been on red alert. She couldn't say why, but Alex was certain that the missing club hoppers had something to do with why she was in Seattle.  
  
Mouth set in a grim line, Alex made her way to the nearest phone booth to call Brian and get him working on this new lead. Finally they had something to work with. And she might finally have something to kill.  
  
  
* * * *  
  
Alec whistled to himself as he walked over to the lockers after dropping off the last of his signatures with Normal. He had no idea what the hell the song was called, but it had been stuck in his head all day and he grimaced every time he caught himself whistling it out loud.  
  
Sketchy and Alex were no where in sight, but Max and Original Cindy were standing close together by the lockers, Max shaking her head reluctantly as O.C. spoke to her quietly while emphatically gesturing with her hands. They both looked like they were concerned about something.  
  
"Ladies," he said, coming up to them. "Everything alright?"  
  
"Yeah," Max answered just as O.C. gave a flat, "No."  
  
Alec raised his eyebrows at them and the two girls glanced at each other, before Max sighed and conceded with a, "Maybe not."  
  
"Maybe?" he said confused and leaned in closer. "What's going on?"  
  
"That's the thing," Max replied quietly, "we're not sure."  
  
"Okay, I know you girls like to dance around issues, but this is getting ridiculous," Alec said, exasperated. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Your girl Alex," O.C. replied frankly.  
  
Alec looked at her in surprise, "Alex? Why, something wrong?"  
  
Original Cindy nodded, but Max interjected, "We don't know for sure."  
  
O.C. rolled her eyes at her. "Girly girl's got a bruise coverin' her entire torso and you're not sure somethin's up?" She turned back to Alec, who now shared their concerned look. "Alex came in here this mornin' wit' her entire left side all black and blue, like somebody gave her a good kick in the stomach. Then she made up some bullshit story about fallin' outta bed, which I know ain't true cause fallin' two feet don't give you that big a bruise, I don't care what you hit on the way down."  
  
"You think somebody beat her?" Alec asked, directing the question at Max who had more experience than Cindy did in the recognizing wounds department.  
  
"Looked pretty bad," Max admitted. "And it's not the first time I've noticed something. She covers them up pretty well, but I've caught glimpses of bruises and cuts before. Remember when she wore that turtleneck last week?" Alec nodded, recalling how the deep green had highlighted her pale complexion and the clingy fabric had clung to her curves. "Well, I saw her neck when she was changing after work. She had bruises all over it. As if someone had choked her."  
  
Alec stared at Max in confusion. "Someone tried to choke her and you're 'not sure' if something's wrong?" he asked, derision seeping into his voice.  
  
Max instantly flared up in anger, "Look, lover boy, we don't know what's going on with her, okay? We don't know who's doing this to her, if she's involved in something shady or if she just likes to play rough after lights out. So I'm sorry if I don't immediately assume she's a damsel in distress waiting for you to sweep her off her feet!"  
  
Alec glared at her for a minute, then decided to let the argument slide. "Fine. We don't know what's going on. Let's ask her."  
  
O.C. shook her head, "N'huh. No way. If something is goin' down wit' her, she hasn't gone lookin' for help, which means that if we just butt into her business, she'll probably freak out and deny it all." Max nodded in agreement. She knew the kind of crazy shit people could do when they felt like they were backed into a corner.  
  
"So what, we just sit around and do nothing?" Alec asked shortly, wanting to take some action. Max accused him of being a selfish prick, and at times he was, but Alec deeply cherished the few friends he's managed to make, though he would never say it out loud. The idea that one of them was in trouble made him anxious to fix the problem for them. Which often got him into some sticky situations since Max was so prone to finding danger, but that was the price he paid for deciding to stick around Seattle.  
  
"What about that friend of hers, Brian?" Max asked, looking between O.C. and Alec.  
  
O.C. shrugged, "What about him, boo?"  
  
Max cocked her head slightly. "He doesn't come out very often, but he's always calling Alex, telling her to come home or meet him somewhere." She shrugged, "It's not much, but it seems kind of controlling to me."  
  
"You think Brian is hittin' our girly girl?" O.C. asked, concern furrowing her brow.  
  
"Dunno," Max replied. "But it would explain why she hasn't said anything about being in trouble. I mean, they've been moving around together for so long, she could be afraid of losing him, even if he is hitting her."  
  
O.C. nodded slowly, "I've seen some sistahs put up wit' some fucked up shit all because they didn't think they had anywhere else to go."  
  
"Yeah," Max said softly, thinking. "There's only one way we can be sure without asking her." She shared a knowing look with Alec. "Next time she gets a call from him at Crash and has to blaze, we should follow her, see what's going on."  
  
"What do we do after that? If he's hitting her, then what?" O.C. asked.  
  
Alec looked at her, his face devoid of emotion. His eyes were no longer those of a carefree bike messenger, but those of a hardened soldier. "Then we make sure he'll never be able to hit her again."  
  
  
  
  
  
Next chapter: "Beauty and the Beasts" Alec and Max follow Alex when she goes hunting. 


	8. Beauty and the Beasts

Okay, I just wanted to go one a mini rant here; I can't believe they cancelled DA!! What the hell are they thinking?! Honestly, if the show didn't have great ratings this year, it's because some idiot at Fox decided to run it on a Friday night when most of the target audience is out and about. So I'm just urging everyone to check out all the sites they can about how to help save our show. This means war!!  
  
Now for the usual: R & R, pleeeeeeeeease. * said in a very whiny voice * It might be a little while until the next chapter is up, cause it's a really important one. So if you guys could let me know what you think about the characters' motivations and actions in this chapter, I'd greatly appreciate. Also, I like to write detailed fight scenes. I think that the fight sequences in the show are an integral part of the action and it's just really cool how they kick ass! So, plenty of detail. Okay, I'm done now.  
  
  
  
Blood Lust  
  
  
  
Beauty and the Beasts  
  
  
  
  
Alex was seriously looking forward to some downtime. Between the beating she'd received the night before and the mental callisthenics she'd been engaged in all day trying to figure out Max and Alec, she was wiped out both physically and mentally. All she wanted was to sit back, grab a beer and laugh with her friends. So naturally she headed to Crash.  
  
She shivered as she entered the bar, her body shaking off the moist chill of the Seattle night air. Music strained through the old speakers set up haphazardly around the room; some pre-Pulse hit from a former rapper. Groups of people wandered around the room, talking, dancing, kissing, fighting, drinking. Generally living normal lives.  
  
Alex spotted her friends at their usual table near the back and took a moment before going to join them. Alec was sitting beside Max, a small grin on his face, as they no doubt continued their verbal sparring. He was wearing the leather jacket she liked so much and his hair had that slightly mussed, I-just-got-of-bed look he managed to make incredibly sexy.  
  
{{It's funny,}} she mused to herself, {{I should've known from the beginning that he was just too damn perfect to have been made by Mother Nature.}} Strangely enough, knowing what Max and Alec were didn't change the way she felt around them at all. {{Guess it's easier to accept the fact that two of your friends are genetically engineered killing machines after you've been told that you yourself are the salvation of all mankind.}} Alex could've stood there staring at him and his genetically perfect body all night, but some amount of self-control kicked in and she forced herself to cross the space separating them.  
  
Alec became aware of her before any of the others and he kept his eyes trained on her as she approached. For some reason she thought she saw concern in his face for a second before his features smoothed and he called out a greeting to her, alerting Max, Sketchy and Original Cindy to her arrival. The other three turned and Alex became even more puzzled. Sketchy looked normal, but Max had adopted the same alert stance as Alec and Original Cindy looked down right tense.  
  
Alex frowned as she came to a stop in front of the table. "Hey guys. What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, glancing between the four of them. They looked at each other and shrugged as one entity, Sketchy entirely oblivious to anything out of the ordinary.  
  
"Nothing's wrong," Max said, trying to sip her beer casually.  
  
"You sure?" Alex asked, taking the stool Sketchy proffered. "You guys look kinda tense."  
  
"Oh, yeah," Max waved her hand dismissively. "Normal was just being a bigger pain in the ass than usual. Which is kind of. . . usual." She laughed at her own extensive vocabulary and Alex relaxed, accepting the lie easily. "We all just need to chill a bit."  
  
"I know what you mean," Alex said, helping herself to the pitcher of beer in front of her. "Work seemed to suck especially hard today."  
  
Sketchy stood, noticing the pool table was finally free. "Yo, Alec, wanna play a game?"  
  
"Sure," Alec replied, pushing out his stool and standing up. He felt uncomfortable being around Alex and keeping secrets from her, even if he was only trying to help her. The two guys wandered off, leaving the girls to spend some quality time together drinking beer and rating the various hunks that passed their table.  
  
The group passed an uneventful hour and a half together, as Max, O.C. and Alec slowly relaxed around Alex and stopped trying to sneak a peek at her skin to look for any new injuries. Alex chalked their strange behavior up to stress and thought no more of it. She was enjoying herself too much to worry about anything. She and Max shamelessly ogled anything male that passed their way, while O.C. pointed out the multiple honeys scattered around the bar. Alec and Sketchy alternated between playing pool and returning to the table to grab some more beer and tease the girls.  
  
Alex was feeling so good, she even volunteered to play Alec at pool, which drew quite a bit of attention from everyone else. O.C. and Max immediately set about rooting for their girl and attempting to psyche Alec out while Sketchy collected bets from a few other patrons around the bar. Still, the atmosphere between Alex and Alec was comfortable despite their competitive banter. Alec was at the top of his game, but Alex wasn't above leaning forward across the table from him and "accidentally" allowing him a glimpse of her cleavage. Alec was well aware of what she was doing, but he was more than happy to let her continue, even if it did mean that he eventually lost the game to her. He good-naturedly handed over the set amount of ten dollars, silently promising himself that one of these days it would be him collecting from her. And not necessarily in cash.  
  
Max and O.C. went off to play some foosball and Sketchy noticed some guys at the bar he hadn't seen for a while, so as soon as the game ended he headed in their direction, leaving Alex and Alec alone. Alec followed her back to the table, absently guiding her along with his hand at the small of her back before realizing what he was doing and letting his hand drop back down to his side. Alex missed his warmth.  
  
They each grabbed a stool at their table and Alec poured her another mug of beer without even asking. Alex grinned at him, "You read my mind."  
  
He smiled back, green eyes sparkling. "Well, it's what every woman wants."  
  
"Beer?"  
  
"A man waiting on her hand and foot."  
  
Alex threw back her head and laughed and Alec found himself fascinated by the pale skin of her neck. What Max had said earlier about someone trying to choke her ran through his mind and for a second his body tensed, rage flashing through his blood like lightening. And it was just as quickly chased out of him by other emotions when she lightly pushed his shoulder. The simple touch sent another type of electricity coursing through his system.  
  
"Hey, where'd you go?" Alex asked, tilting her head to the side. "You left me for a second there."  
  
"Sorry," Alec smiled, " I just-" he was cut off by Alex beeping at him.  
  
"Whoops, hold that thought," she said, reaching into her jacket and pulling out her beeper. She studied the number, then smiled apologetically at him. "I gotta make this call, it's Brian. Be back in a minute?"  
  
He nodded and watched as she stood and made her way over to the phones near the washrooms. He waited until she was a little farther ahead, then stood and stealthily followed her, pausing in the shadows just close enough so he could hear her end of the conversation.  
  
Alex slipped some change into the phone and dialed home, impatiently tapping her foot. Brian picked up the phone and she immediately said, "What's up? You okay? You said it was an emergency."  
  
"I'm fine," his familiar voice reassured her on the other end of the line. "I just wanted you to respond right away. I managed to track down someone who's in the loop in the Seattle Underworld. It's a Kayorsha demon, he's willing to tell you what he knows about the big players in town."  
  
"Right," Alex drawled. "And he's doing this out of the goodness of his black-as-night heart?"  
  
"Well, actually he wants to be paid, big surprise there. He's only willing to meet tonight though. Seemed kind of jumpy when he called me. I think someone may try to stop him from talking to you."  
  
"I'll just have to get to him first," Alex replied. "What's the address?"  
  
"2641 Younge St. over in sector six. Don't worry about paying him right now. Tell him he'll get his kittens after we validate the information."  
  
"Kittens?" Alex shrieked quietly into the phone, if shrieking quietly is possible. "There is no way I'm handing over some innocent kittens to be eaten! No way!"  
  
"Fine, fine," Brian said impatiently. "Offer him cash and if he doesn't take it, well-"  
  
"If he doesn't take it then I'll just convince him to give it up for free," Alex said brightly.  
  
"Right. Report back as soon as you've finished the meeting. Oh, and Alex?" She smiled into the receiver, knowing what was coming next. "Watch your back out there, okay?"  
  
"Okay," she said softly, appreciating his concern. "See you in a bit." She turned around to make her excuses to the rest of the group when she ran smack dab into what felt like a brick wall. A warm, breathing brick wall.  
  
"Oof!"  
  
Alec reached out a hand to steady her, then smiled blandly down at her. "So, what did the B man want?"  
  
"Oh, um, he, uh, got stuck at a sector check point. Forgot his pass or something. I gotta go vouch for him so he can get home."  
  
"Too bad, the night's just getting started," Alec said easily, face set in blank smile.  
  
"Yeah, well. . . Tell the others I said bye, 'kay? I'll see you at work tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah," Alec said as she walked past him. He turned around to watch her go, the smile slipping from his face. "See you tomorrow." From what he'd heard, she wasn't exactly going to help out a friend. And what really confused him was the part about kittens. He quickly scanned Crash for Max and found her still playing foosball with O.C. He approached them quickly and tapped her on the arm. "She's moving."  
  
Max nodded at him and grabbed her jacket from a nearby chair. O.C. pressed her lips together, unhappy that they were spying on a friend but worried about Alex all the same. "Be careful, you two hear?"  
  
"We hear you, Cind," Max lay a comforting hand on Cindy's shoulder before motioning for Alec to follow her out into the street. They spotted Alex off to their right, setting a brisk pace as she moved down the street. They followed her silently, hanging back in the shadows in case she looked over her shoulder.  
  
She didn't head for home as they assumed she would. Instead she moved purposefully through the city, taking short cuts through abandoned buildings and dark alleyways. "Girl's gonna get herself mugged," Alec muttered angrily to himself as his eyes scanned the area for any would-be thieves.  
  
Max nodded and whispered back, "I thought she was smarter than this," indicating the isolated route they were following.  
  
She led them through some parts of town so shady even they usually avoided them, all without batting an eyelash. Max and Alec waited behind when she reached the sector six check point until she disappeared down the street on the other side, just to be safe. Then they stepped into the pool of light and offered up their Jam Pony passes to the sector guards for inspection. After enduring a moment of hostile scrutiny and, in Max's case ogling, they were waved through and they both began to run silently to catch up to Alex as soon as they were certain the sector guards wouldn't see their above-normal speed.   
  
They caught up to her just in time to see her disappear into an old, run-down building that looked like it had served as a warehouse in better days. They shared a worried glance and Max sighed. "Let's do it." They moved towards the dark doorway.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alex proceeded cautiously, constantly scanning her surroundings. The first room appeared to be a small office area and it was completely empty except for some smashed crates and boxes. She spotted a door at the end of the room, leading deeper into the building. She tried the handle and found it unlocked. She slowly pushed it open, wincing as it creaked. The sound seemed deafening to her and she paused in the doorway. The room before her was huge, the storage part of the warehouse. There were various walkways and levels around the perimeter of the room and large support pillars broke up the open space. She couldn't see that far into the dark room, but her sensitive ears picked up a grunt from farther in and then a sick wet sound. Shit.  
  
She sprang forward, running silently into the warehouse. There was a skylight in the middle of the roof and it let in just enough moonlight for her to make out five figures in the middle of the room. Only four were standing. She skidded to a halt as she took in the form of a badly mutilated demon lying on the floor, greenish blood seeping from multiple wounds. The vampire standing over him held a knife covered in the same colour. He and his friends whirled as they heard her approach, pale skin glowing in the dim lighting. They smiled ruthlessly when they saw her and growled low in their throats.  
  
She pulled her eyes away from her dead informant and snapped irritably, "Do you have any fucking idea how long it took to find a guy like him?" The creatures roared and rushed her in a single wave.  
  
* * * *  
  
Max and Alec paused at the front door and she pressed her ear up against the damp wood. She heard Alex opening another door inside and moving through it. She turned and nodded at Alec, opening the door without a sound. They moved through the room quickly while instantly reviewing their surroundings as their Manticore training kicked in. As they moved into the next room, they heard Alex running up ahead of them. Max was about to follow, when Alec grabbed her arm. She looked at him questioningly and he motioned to a ladder leading to a metal walkway overhead. * Better vantage point, * he said, using the hand signals they'd been taught. Max nodded and quickly followed him up the ladder and down the walkway.  
  
Their keen eyesight prevented the darkness from hindering their vision and they tensed as they drew even with Alex. Below them, lying on the floor was a creature that looked like nothing they'd ever seen before. Green scales glistened where they showed through torn bits of clothing. Iris-less blue eyes seemed to stare directly at them as they looked down at the grim scene below them. They both instantly jumped to the conclusion that the creature on the floor was an escaped Manticore experiment gone wrong that had just met a violent end with some bigoted humans. They both felt their stomachs tighten as they wondered what business Alex had with the four men who stood over their slain comrade. Then she spoke.  
  
"Do you have any fucking idea how long it took to find a guy like him?"  
  
Shock washed through the pair of hidden transgenics. Not only did she know of their existence, but she was *looking* for transgenics? And was apparently very peeved that this one was dead.  
  
The four men below them let out strangely primitive roars and leapt toward her. Alec and Max tensed, placing their hands on the railing to vault down and save her. And then she jumped, flipping over the heads of her attackers and spinning to face them. She kicked the farthest man to the left and snapped the next man's head back with a sharp uppercut before flipping backwards to avoid a viscous punch from one of their friends. It was then that Max and Alec finally noted the twisted features of her attackers.  
  
"Holy shit," Max whispered. "What the hell are they?"  
  
She wasn't just referring to the men.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alex staggered backwards as one vamp landed a hard kick to her stomach. She used the momentary distance to reach into her jacket and pull out a stake. She blocked the next blow with her right hand she held the stake in, then pushed him back a step with a punch to the jaw. She followed through with a backward jab, the stake moving smoothly into his chest as if it were an extension of her arm. She had already turned and attacked her next opponent as the vampire behind her exploded into dust.  
  
She was knocked sideways by a strong punch and then the second vamp tackled her at the knees, bringing them both down and sending the stake skittering across the floor into the shadows. He landed on top of her and raised his hands over his head to smash her face in. She quickly jabbed him under the jaw and sat up, forcing him off her and smashed her forehead into his. He collapsed on the floor, temporarily out of the fight and she dropped down onto her hands, sweeping her leg around to take out a third charging vampire. He hit the floor like dead weight and she moved to stake him, but he rolled out of the way and jumped back onto his feet. She rushed forward, but he grabbed her arm, using her own momentum to throw her across the room onto some old abandoned crates. Unfortunately they didn't break underneath her and her breath rushed out of her lungs.  
  
The vampire reached down and grabbed her by the jacket, hauling her to her feet. Before she had time to regain her balance, he rammed her headlong into one of the concrete posts. She stumbled back, but he didn't let go and ran her forward again. This time she managed to clear her head in time to jump up and use the post to flip herself over. Landing behind him, she punched him the back of the neck and delivered a savage knee to the stomach.  
  
Just then number four decided to join in the fun, wrapping his arms around her middle and pinning her arms to her sides. He tightened his grip and lifted her off her feet. Alex gasped in pain as her ribs cracked and kicked about wildly, trying to upset his balance. He staggered, letting her get too close to the post and she used it to kick off, knocking them both over. She flipped to her feet, grabbing a discarded broom a worker had left behind. She snapped her leg sideways, breaking off the head, leaving her with a makeshift quarterstaff. Number three was just rising and she swung the pole at him, hitting him twice before spinning around to deliver a round-house kick to the head of the fourth vampire. She ducked under number three's fist and shoved the pole forward, skewering him on the end. He exploded into dust and she whirled just as the fourth vampire leapt forward. She bent low and thrust the pole upward and released it. It caught the vamp in the chest and the power of her movement sent him sailing overhead. He turned to dust midair and the pole landed with a sharp clatter.  
  
Alex turned around and was greeted with a forearm to the face. She grunted and the recovered vampire she'd knocked out planted his fist in her stomach. She doubled over and he smashed his knee up into her face. She ripped herself away from his reach, then moved forward and swung at him. She missed, then connected, but he brushed her arms away and grabbed her by the neck and seat of her pants, lifting her over his head. He threw her into another post and she rolled to her feet, rushing forward to meet him again. This time she leapt high in the air, wrapping her legs around his head. He began falling, but she tightened her legs and threw herself backwards, landing on her back and flipping him over her head. She grabbed another stake and rolled backward onto of his chest and slammed the wood deep into his heart. The vamp exploded into dust under her and she paused catching her breath.  
  
Her head snapped up as a sound overhead alerted her to the fact that she wasn't alone and she jumped to her feet, ready to attack. But she froze when she saw the two figures crouched on the crosswalk, staring at her in shock. "Oh God," she whispered.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alec and Max stared at her, basically paralyzed. Their minds, highly trained and developed, only snapped back into consciousness when her whispered words reached their sensitive ears. They slowly stood, then Alec's face hardened as he mentally scanned through the events that had just happened. The soldier in him took over and he vaulted over the railing to confront her. He didn't know what the fuck had just happened, but he had just been presented with an unknown threat and he wanted answers.  
  
He felt Max land lightly next to him, bending her legs to absorb the impact. For a second she just stared at the body on the floor and then at the piles of dust scattered around the room. He turned to Alex. "What just happened?" he asked, deceptively calm.  
  
Alex stared at them in surprise for a second. She took a deep breath, but didn't say anything. Max's face twisted in anger and hostility, their first natural reaction when confronted with the unknown.  
  
"What the hell are you doing with a dead transgenic?" she snapped, eyes burning. She too was shutting off her friendly emotions, just as Alec was doing, in order to deal with the possibility that Alex was a hostile enemy.  
  
Alex blinked at them, then glanced at the green corpse on the floor as if she'd forgotten about it. "What? Oh, that's not a transgenic."  
  
"What is it then?" Alec demanded harshly.  
  
She didn't answer, instead she turned and stared into the darkness, head cocked to the side. She could sense more of them, farther off, but approaching fast. Probably a back up team in case the first four vampires didn't get the job done.  
  
"Answer me!" Alec drew her attention back to him. She was pale, nearly as pale as the men she'd just. . . killed. . . and a bruise was already forming on her cheek.  
  
"I can't," she finally said. "You have to go."  
  
Max crossed her arms and glared at her. "We're not going anywhere until you tell us what the hell is going on."  
  
Alex snorted. "You wouldn't believe him if I told you." The two transgenics merely stared at her, eyes coldly blank. She glanced back over her shoulder again, then sighed. "All right, I'll answer your questions. But not here. There are more coming. We have to leave NOW."  
  
Max and Alec paused for a second, then nodded curtly. Alex immediately pushed past them at a light run and they followed her out of the room.  
  
"We need to get inside, quickly," she said over her shoulder, not slowing down.  
  
Alec glanced at her profile. "We are inside."  
  
"No," she replied, sparing him a quick look. "We need to get inside private accommodations. A home or something."  
  
"My apartment's not far, it's just a sector away," Max offered as they burst out into the street. She glanced back the way they'd come. She strained her ears, but she didn't hear anything. Yet she still had the disturbing feeling that they were being hunted. She could tell Alec felt it too because he kept scanning the various shadows around them.  
  
Alex paused, looking up and down the street intently before nodding. "That's perfect. We should get there quickly, otherwise I won't have a chance to give you your answers."  
  
Alec and Max didn't question her again. Max took off down the street, leading Alec and Alex back to her home. They ran the entire way there, trying to escape the uneasy feeling that death was just a few steps behind them.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Next chapter: "Weight of the World" Secrets are revealed. 


	9. Weight of the World

Whew, done. This one took a lot out of me people, so any kind of comment, criticism or unabashed adoration is welcome. Hope you like it.  
  
  
  
  
Blood Lust  
  
  
  
Weight of the World  
  
  
  
Original Cindy squinted her eyes in concentration. This had to be exactly right because damned if she was doing it again. Slowly, nearly done, make sure it's even and ...voila! She sat back and admired her handy work. A pro couldn't have done a better job. With a sigh of satisfaction she wriggled her freshly painted metallic toenails and screwed the lid back on the bottle. There was nothing more relaxing than a pedicure. She was just about to put on the kettle and make herself a nice cup of hot chocolate when all of a sudden her door banged open and chaos came stumbling into the apartment.  
  
Max ran through the doorway, with Alec and Alex close on her heels. O.C. stared at them in open-mouthed amazement as Alec slammed the door shut.  
  
He whirled around and faced Alex. "What the hell is following us?" he asked tightly, anger burning in his eyes. O.C. took a closer look and realized Max wore the same hostile expression while Alex just looked resigned.  
  
"You don't wanna know," Alex replied, crossing the room to look out the window at the street below. "Don't worry, we're safe now."  
  
"Safe? What's to stop those guys from busting down the door, huh?" Max demanded. None of them seemed to have noticed Original Cindy yet.  
  
"They won't," Alex answered absently, drawing the curtains shut. "They haven't been invited in."  
  
Alec stared at her as if she were crazy. "I don't know about you, but when I'm gunning for somebody I don't stop to receive an invite in the mail."  
  
"That's because you're human," Alex glanced at him, "or close enough to it."  
  
That got their attention. Max's head snapped up as Alec's mouth dropped open in shock. It took him a second, but he found his voice again, trying to pretend he didn't know was she was referring to. "What are you talking about, 'close enough'?"  
  
Alex sighed and said quietly, "I know about you two being transgenics. I saw your barcodes."  
  
Alec and Max exchanged worried glances, but before they could speak again, Original Cindy walked into the middle of their little exchange.  
  
"A'ight, hold up," she said, raising her hands in the air. "What the hell happened? Who's chasin' you and how," she turned to Alex, "do you know about my girl and her boy?"  
  
"Like I said, I saw their barcodes," Alex replied calmly.  
  
"And you just came to the decision that they were transgenics, jus' like that?"  
  
Alex smiled slightly. "Well, I did do a little research before I figured it out, but basically, yes."  
  
"Great, that's just swell," Max said sarcastically, crossing her arms across her chest. "But I wanna know what the hell were those guys back there that you killed? And what were you doing looking for a transgenic?"  
  
"I told you," Alex said, taking a seat in an old beat-up chair, "that wasn't a transgenic, it was a demon. A Kayorsha demon to be exact."  
  
Alec snorted derisively. "Right. And those men with the fucked up faces, they were demons too, of course."  
  
"In a way."  
  
Alec was about to express his disbelief again when O.C. chimed in again. "Okay, let's all just sit down and talk this whole thang through, startin' with what the hell happened. Some guys were attackin' you?" she asked Alex.  
  
Max answered for Alex as they all reluctantly took seats. "Yeah, there were four of them with mangled faces, but our girl here pulled a Xena and kicked their collective asses. Not to mention they somehow turned into ash when she stabbed them." O.C. turned wide eyes back to Alex.  
  
She slumped visibly in front of the other three. Brian was going to be furious she'd been so careless as to let Max and Alec follow her. But there was no going back now. "What I'm going to tell you guys, you won't believe. And you can't tell anyone else. Ever." She looked at each of them for a moment. "Those guys back there that attacked me . . . They weren't men. They were vampires."  
  
The three continued to stare at her, expressions totally blank. Finally, Original Cindy spoke. "Shugah, you feelin' a'ight? Cause I thought I just heard you say that you were attacked by vampires."  
  
Alex smiled briefly. "You heard right, Cind. Please," she held up a hand as Alec opened his mouth. "Just let me explain first, okay." He closed his mouth and nodded dubiously.  
  
"There are . . . This world didn't start the way everyone thinks it did. Eons ago, it wasn't Earth. It was a hell dimension, only one of many. Demons existed here and nothing else. But eventually their hold on this plane of existence weakened and they began to vanish into other dimensions and the way was made for mortal animals. For humans."  
  
Alex paused and looked up from the stray string she was picking at on her cuff. She had a very rapt audience. "But the demons weren't willing to give up completely. They're stubborn like that. One of the last true demons on Earth bit a human and drank their blood, as demons are wont to do. But he didn't kill his victim. Instead, he cut himself and forced the human to drink from him, a mixture of human and demon blood. And the first vampire was created. A human vessel with a demon inside. He bit another, and another and their numbers spread. Vestiges of the Old Ones remained in our world, and vampires and other half-breeds like them were able to flourish in the darkness here. Waiting for a time when the balance of power shifts again and this world will become hell once more."  
  
Her three listeners looked doubtful. Max shook her head. "I don't believe you. If this were true, we'd know about it."  
  
"But you do," Alex replied softly. "Think about it. The campfire stories told to frighten little children, the myths and legends passed down from ancient times. Have you never heard a story about an unexplained death, about the crazy lady who claims a swamp monster ate her dog? That lady isn't so crazy." She paused, staring at them sadly. "You know I'm telling the truth. You felt them as they followed us. That fear, the way your skin crawled, the cold shiver down your spine. You felt the evil of them."  
  
"How-" O.C. cleared her throat and tried again in a shaky voice, "how can these things exist and nobody knows the truth about them?"  
  
Alex shrugged cynically. "People forget what they don't want to know. And when something is so frightening they can't forget it, they trick themselves into believing they didn't really see what they saw. That there is a logical explanation. And there is. They're just too afraid to admit it."  
  
"So, how do you fit into all this? Are you a fallen angel sent down to wreak God's wrath on the wicked?" Max asked sarcastically, wiggling her fingers in the air.  
  
Alex laughed out loud, remembering Alec's comments when they'd first met. "Not an angel. I'm human, just like Cindy here. I'm just- special I guess you could say."  
  
"Pretty damn special from what we just saw you do," Alec said quietly, forearms resting on his knees. He was watching her with quiet intensity, not moving a muscle. She barely managed to keep from shivering under his gaze.  
  
"Okay," Alex took a deep breath, getting ready to go into the personal stuff. "Everything supernatural isn't necessarily evil. There are powers of good that counteract evil. I call them just the Powers, but there isn't really a name assigned to them. Anyway, these Powers created a warrior of their own. She's the Chosen One, the one girl in every generation with the abilities to hunt down the monsters and protect the innocent. And right now, that's me. I'm the Vampire Slayer."  
  
"What- How- I mean-" Original Cindy was having a hard time coping with the information that apparently there really was something out there when you heard that bump in the night.  
  
Alec asked a question for her instead. "How does this work? You said one in every generation? So what, do you guys have a set amount of time to serve as the Slayer and then the next girl gets her chance?"  
  
A small bitter laugh escaped Alex's throat. "I wouldn't call it 'getting her chance'. You don't get a choice about being a Slayer. You're chosen before birth and nothing you do can change that. And no, it's not like we each clock out at the end of our shift and then go on our merry little ways. You're the Slayer from the time you're called to the time you're killed. That could be mere hours or it could be longer. The longest run a Slayer's had is eighteen years. When the current Slayer dies, the next is activated."  
  
"How?" Max asked. She was beginning to feel as if the three of them were now only capable of ending a sentence with a question mark.  
  
"A few ways. For one thing, while the Slayer is above average from birth, it's only when she is called that she comes into her full powers; strength, stamina, increased senses, innate abilities. And there's also the dreams. When you're first called, you dream about the previous Slayers. About how they died. I think it's a way of preparing you for your own death.   
  
"But the real way a girl finds out about the whole Slayer-vampire deal is through her Watcher. A couple thousand years ago, a few humans who knew about demons and the Slayer decided that the Slayer needed help. So they formed the Watcher's Council. A Slayer's Watcher tells her about her heritage. He or she stays with the Slayer until she dies, teaching her, training her. They've got a huge network of information and power all over the world. Usually the Watcher's Council is supposed to be in control of the Slayer, but that little tradition was thrown out the window about twenty years ago. The Slayer at the time realized that she was the one with the power and turned her back on the Council until they agreed to serve her, not the other way around."  
  
"So who's you're Watcher?" Max asked.  
  
"Brian," Alex answered simply. "He's been my Watcher for the past four years."  
  
They sat in silence for a moment. Max and Cindy stared off into space, trying to wrap their minds around everything they'd heard. Alec watched Alex from under hooded eyelids. She noticed his scrutiny and stared back at him from the corner of her eye, but she couldn't decipher the expression on his face. After a second, she sighed and stood, bringing the other girls' attention to her as well.  
  
"Look, I know this is a lot to digest and you guys probably have a ton of questions. But I think maybe I should just give you some time to, you know, sort it out or whatever." She swallowed nervously and fiddled with the ring on her finger. "I- I understand that you're freaked, I would be too. Hell, I was when I found out." She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. "So, I'm just gonna go now. Um, I guess I'll talk to you guys tomorrow."  
  
The others stood as she moved towards the door. "What about those. . . things out there?" Max asked anxiously, not wanting to send Alex out into the night with monsters out there.  
  
"Oh, they're long gone. I don't even think they followed us all the way here. Besides, I can take care of myself." She smiled slightly, "Later. And please, don't tell anyone." She opened the door and disappeared into the hallway.  
  
"I'm gonna jet too," Alec said, quickly following Alex out. The door closed behind him with a bang and O.C. jumped slightly. Max just continued to stare at the closed door, lost in thought.  
  
Cindy pulled her robe tighter, obviously ill at ease with her new knowledge. She stretched out a tentative hand and touched Max on the shoulder. "Hey, boo, y'aight?"  
  
Max blinked and turned her head to smile at her friend. "Yeah. Just trying to sort it all out. This is gonna take some thinking."  
  
"No doubt," O.C. muttered, shaking her head slightly. "No doubt."  
  
Max stared into Cindy's eyes and saw her own fears reflected there. The two girls embraced each other tightly and held on for dear life. Their already terrifying world had just gotten a little bit scarier.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Hey, Alex, wait up!"  
  
Alex turned as she reached the door to the apartment building as Alec hurried down the stairs to catch up to her. She waited until he joined her. They stood there staring at each other for a minute. "Hey," he said quietly.  
  
"Hey," she replied with downcast eyes, trying to smile but not quite managing it. The past hour had taken a lot out of her, emotionally speaking, and she wasn't sure she could deal right now if Alec suddenly decided she was too much of a freak to hang around with.  
  
He continued to study her face, the way the moonlight played softly across her features. Instinctively he knew what she'd told them was true, but he had a hard time reconciling this fragile looking girl in front of him with the wild fighter he'd seen earlier. Finally the silence got to her and she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.  
  
"What is it Alec?" she asked.  
  
"You said you'd answer our questions," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, I've got one."  
  
"Shoot," she said, her voice slightly tinged with weariness.  
  
"Am I right in assuming that that night in the club, when we first met, you left because of some Slayer business and if you had had a choice, you would've come home with me?"  
  
She stared up at him in astonishment, then broke out laughing. He grinned down at her, glad to have eased the tension. "Ah, I see I leave you speechless. I'll take that as a yes."  
  
"Thanks," she said. He nodded, knowing she was grateful that he wasn't freaking out on her. He pushed open the door and motioned her through onto the street. She slipped past him and waited for him so they could walk beside each other. He changed his speed to match her shorter strides as they ambled down the street.  
  
"All those times you left Crash suddenly, or didn't show up at all, you were out fighting, weren't you?" She nodded. He didn't want to examine the sudden concern for her safety too closely, so he asked another question. "I take it that the whole 'family thing' with Brian was just a cover story too, huh?"  
  
"No," she replied. "Brian's father Henry adopted me when I was ten, just like I told you. He was my first Watcher."  
  
Alec watched her out of the corner of his eye. He sensed sadness in her voice and when she didn't continue, he asked gently, "What happened to him? How'd he die?"  
  
She swallowed and glanced down at the ground. Sensing her reluctance, he raised his hands and said, "Hey, if you don't want to talk about, I understand."  
  
She stared at him for a second, then answered, "No, it's okay." She turned away and led him towards a bench by the side of the road. While she really didn't want to talk about what had happened, she suddenly realized that she very much wanted Alec to know about it. And since neither of them was telepathic, she was going to have to tell him herself.  
  
He sat down next to her and watched her patiently. She started fiddling with her rings again, and, with a trembling sigh, she began to speak.  
  
"I don't remember very much about my parents. Just sensations really. A certain smell, the sound of their voices. They were killed in a car crash when I was six years old. But I do remember them telling me stories at night before they put me to bed. My mom would sit beside me and stroke my hair, and dad would sit at the end of my bed and tell me about how I was going to grow up and be a superhero; how I was going to save the world. You know," she said wistfully as she glanced down at her hands, "I wish I could've asked them what they thought of me becoming the Slayer. It can't be easy, knowing that your only child is doomed."  
  
"How can you be sure they knew?" Alec shrugged, "Maybe those stories were just that. Stories."  
  
Alex smiled at him. "Do you know what my name means?" He shook his head no and she recited, "Alexandra. Feminine form of Alexander. Meaning- protector and savior of mankind. They knew what I was."  
  
He nodded, accepting this and she continued. "After they died, I was bounced around from foster home to foster home. It wasn't great, but I always had a roof over my head and food in my stomach. Then, when I was ten, the Council finally found me and Henry came into my life." She smiled sadly, remembering the man she thought of as a father. "He adopted me and took me home. He didn't tell me about my calling. Brian was sixteen then and his father had already told him about the Slayer and the Council. Even though they didn't tell me about my future, they insisted that I learned how to protect myself. Every day after school we'd spar together. I thought they were just worried about me, we lived in a rough neighborhood." She paused, then said, "Even though Henry adopted me solely because I was a future Slayer, I never doubted the fact that he loved me. He treated me like a daughter. I remember when I was called, I walked in on him alone in the kitchen. He was washing the dishes and he didn't notice me. But I could see he was crying, crying as hard as I had cried when I found out.  
  
"I'd just turned fifteen when I started having the dreams. I had them three nights in a row, and every time I woke up screaming so loudly both Brian and Henry came running in thinking I was being attacked. Of course, Henry was pretty sure what my dreams meant, but he didn't tell me until he got the official notice from the main Council in London.  
  
"When Henry told me about my destiny, I went through every stage of grieving known to man. Disbelief, anger, sadness. I was in shock for about a week. I didn't want to believe him, I wanted to make him take it all back, but I knew. . . Deep down I knew he was telling the truth. I could feel it inside me. But all of my hopes. . . Everything I had ever wanted, everything I had ever wanted to be, it was all destroyed in an instant." Her eyes sparked and her voice hardened with anger. "It isn't fair. It isn't fair to ask a child to shoulder that kind of burden. And I didn't accept it. I hated it, I hated how it defined everything about me, how it dictated every part of my life. I fought it for two years, with everything I had. And then Henry was murdered."  
  
She swallowed hard and locked her eyes ahead of her, wishing she could just skip over this part. As she began to speak again, all the pain and fury and memories came rushing back.  
  
"We were living in Boston at the time. We'd just moved in to take out a large gang of vamps that was nesting there. I found their head quarters and killed most of them, but the leader escaped with a few others. The next night, I went out patrolling. Brian came with me for a while, then headed over to the library to get some books for his classes. He was studying to become a teacher. It was a quiet night, nothing major. I found the vamps' secondary hideout. It was an old gas station in an abandoned sector that went out of business when the Pulse hit. They weren't there." She breathed deeply, clenching her fists at her sides, the memories vivid in her mind. "I went home a little earlier than usual. I found him-" she broke off, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks as she went back in her mind.  
  
~ Blood, it' everywhere. The smell, oh God, the smell. There's so much blood, how could one body have so much blood? ~  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the memories. "The survivors of the raid had found our house. Henry was home alone. I found him. They didn't just kill him. They- they used him to get to me. He. . . he was hanging from the landing. They hung him with his own intestines." Tears were now streaming liberally down her face.  
  
~ Nonononononono. Oh God, wake up, wake up, this is a dream, it has to be a dream. Oh God, Henry, please, don't, oh God, please! ~  
  
The words continued to pour from her body unbidden, as if she'd opened a dam deep inside. Her voice took on a mechanical tone as if she were reading from a textbook. "I was still standing there, staring at him, when Brian came home. I heard him come through the front door, and I knew I couldn't let him remember his father like that. I knocked him out, put him in the car. I knew what I had to do. I packed up our stuff, and took all of our weapons. I drove back to the gas station. I hide the car with Brian tied up in the back. The vampires hadn't returned yet, so I waited."  
  
~ The air was humid, the fumes of gasoline strong on the wind. She leaned against an old table, playing with Henry's favorite lighter that she'd taken from the house. Though she'd hated the fact he smoked, it seemed to soothe her. Flip it open, snap your fingers to light it, flip it shut. Flip, snap, flip. Flip, snap, flip. ~  
  
"I didn't have to wait long. They didn't even realize I was there until they were in range."  
  
~ They were calling to her, taunting her with what they had done to her Watcher. She didn't reply. Flip, snap, flip. Flip, snap. But this time, she dropped the lighter, never taking her eyes off of the monsters in front of her as the flame hit the puddle of gasoline. The fire raced across the floor, engulfing the demons in seconds. She stood there, calmly, watching as they screamed in agony, their skin blackening and flaking off. One by one they exploded into dust, but only after suffering twice as much as Henry had . Her expression never changed. She felt hollow inside, as dead as they were. And then it was over. ~  
  
"After I killed them, I got back in the car. I untied Brian and drove until dawn. I checked into a motel and waited for him to wake up. He was out for a good twelve hours. When he woke up, he was angry with me. He wanted to go back, but I couldn't let him. We couldn't afford to be caught up in an investigation. So we kept moving. Brian got in contact with the Council after a few days, told them what had happened. They wanted to send me another Watcher, somebody from England, but I wouldn't let them. Even though Brian never planned on entering the Council like his dad, he didn't want to leave me. He's been my Watcher ever since."  
  
Finally her well of words dried up and she was left with an empty hole in her stomach. She suddenly became aware of Alec again. He was hugging her to him with one arm, whispering comfort into her ear. She let out a small gasp of pain and leaned into his neck. He kissed her forehead, smoothing her hair with his hand.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to drag all this up for you again. I'm sorry."  
  
She shook her head against his chest, scrubbing away her tears with the back of her hand. "No," she said, pulling away slightly to look him in the eye. He let her go, his arm sliding from around her shoulders. She took a deep breath. "It's okay. I wanted this, I wanted you to know." She glanced down for a second. "I know you're trying to deal with everything that happened tonight, and you must be pretty freaked right now, but you stayed. You listened to me. That means a lot to me."  
  
She stared into his eyes, memorizing every fleck of colour. She leaned forward and brushed hers lips against his, gently kissing him. He froze for a second and before he could react she pulled away slightly, keeping their faces inches apart.  
  
"I just wanted to say thank you," she whispered, swallowing hard.  
  
He slowly raised his hand to her cup her cheek, gently pushing her hair back with his thumb as he studied the planes of her face. "You know what?" he asked quietly, his low voice reverberating in his chest.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think you're getting better at this whole gratitude thing."  
  
She gave a soft laugh and smiled at him. "I think it takes practice."  
  
"I'm willing to be your guinea pig," he said, pulling her head towards him gently.  
  
She smiled and he captured her lips again. "I'd like that," she whispered against his mouth, before he deepened the kiss and all ability to communicate left her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Next chapter- "Passion" Anybody wanna venture a guess as to what happens? ; ) 


	10. Passion

I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. I'm totally bogged down with exam review, exams, family stuff and work. I've been completely stressed out, but I feel bad for not posting in such a long time, so this is the first half of chapter 10. Hopefully I'll have the rest up in a week. R & R if you're so inclined.  
  
  
  
Blood Lust  
  
  
  
  
Passion  
  
  
The sunlight filtered through the grimy window, dappling the floor of the makeshift training room with trembling patterns despite the dirt the light had to fight through. It was nearing sunset and the slanting rays helped to cheer up the stark gray room just a little. The ancient paint covering the walls was flaking in spots, revealing the hard concrete underneath. The floor was cold to the touch, except for where the padded mats added an inch or two of protection. But neither occupant in the room was all that interested in their surroundings. They were more than just a little distracted by each other.  
  
Alec ducked easily under her right hook, bringing up his forearm to block her follow-up. He shifted backwards and she followed, throwing offhand blows at him as they made their way around the room, moving back and forth in an intricate dance.  
  
Alex jumped high into the air as Alec attempted to sweep her legs out from under her. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, but some stray strands had come free to dance along her line of vision. Impatiently she blew them out of her face and Alec was momentarily shocked at how cute such a simple action could be. His lack of attention cost him as Alex landed a kick at his stomach. He grunted slightly and stumbled back, a hand protectively raised against his stomach, even though it was a fairly light blow.  
  
He eyed her accusingly as he let his hands drop to his sides. "You're holding back on me, Lex. I though we agreed to go all out?"  
  
A look of knowing guilt flashed across her face before she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin defiantly. "So are you!" she argued back, trying to excuse herself. "I know you're not moving half as fast as you really can, so don't go telling me I'm breaking our deal."  
  
He acknowledged her point with a cocky grin and rolled his shoulders, loosening his muscles. He noticed that when he did so Alex's gaze drifted down to his bare chest before snapping back up to his face. His grin widened and he returned the favour by eyeing the way her chest rose and fell beneath her training tank top. She had blushed when she realized he'd seen her ogling him, but when he let his eyes wander she arched one eyebrow at him with a knowing smirk.  
  
"Why don't we start over? I won't hold back if you don't," he offered. Before she could even nod in agreement he moved against her. He blurred around her, coming up from behind and wrapping his arm around her neck. She stiffened in surprise at his speed, but reacted instantly, hooking her right foot behind his leg and knocking them both to the floor. She nailed him in the stomach with her elbow on the way down and rolled away, jumping to her feet.  
  
Alec flipped lightly to his feet and they circled each other warily, small excited smiles adorning both of their faces. It was a few days after their confrontation and they were currently training in the biggest room in Alex's apartment. While they had discussed many different aspects of their separate and secret lives, this was the first time they had sparred together. It had been Alec that suggested it. Even though Alec knew in theory the power of the Slayer, his rather large ego made him confident that he would win their little contest and therefore it would give him a chance to show off in front of Alex. Had Alex known this, she would have caustically remarked that his attitude was comparable to the testosterone-filled spectacles lesser animals put on for females in mating season. But while she noted his confidence, she attributed it to his usual cocky swagger and accepted his challenge without making a feminist vow to soundly whoop his ass.  
  
They moved around each other for a silent minute, looking for possible openings and weaknesses. Alex broke the impasse first, rushing straight at him, only to duck to one side at the last second, snapping her leg up. Alec barely blocked her in time and attempted to grab hold of her calf but she slid free of his grip, wheeling around the other way with her leg still in the air. This time she did manage to land her kick and he doubled over, his breath rushing out of his chest with a whoosh. He hadn't realized exactly just how much she'd been reigning in her strength! That was gonna bruise tomorrow.  
  
Alec's competitive nature kicked in and he went on the offensive, determined not to let her get the upper hand. He attacked relentlessly, his stiff male pride refusing to let him be beaten by a human girl. And one who was a full head shorter than him too.  
  
Alex flowed from one block to the next, almost anticipating his moves before he made them. He landed one or two hard punches, but she ignored the dull ache his fists left behind and let herself slip into what she called the 'zone'. Everything outside of their designated fighting ring fell away. She was no longer conscious of the world outside or even the room in which they were standing. All she was aware of was her footing and the man in front of her.  
  
Alec let his face slide into an impenetrable mask, the inner soldier wiping any sign of excitement from his features. He forced her back again and again, his movements controlled and deadly. She ducked under a punch and spun around, forcing him to turn so that he was now the one being backed into a corner. He managed to maneouver his way back into the middle of the room, giving himself more space to move around.  
  
They continued trading blows for a good five minutes, neither really gaining the upper hand. Their techniques, while almost evenly matched in ability, were as different as night and day. Alec fought with the controlled, militaristic style Manticore had trained him in. Each movement served a purpose and his style was flawless. He was every bit as dangerous as Alex was and he certainly had way more official training than she did. But she was in no way at a disadvantage. Though Alec had at least fifteen years of fighting experience on her, she had spent nearly every night of the past six years fighting for her life. But it was more than just her six years as the Slayer that allowed her to keep up with a genetically enhanced and specially trained warrior. It was instinct that dictated her movements more than personal experience. She fought with a fierceness bred into her that Manticore had never managed to achieve with its soldiers. The experience of all the past Slayers existed in her and while her technique lacked the trained veneer Alec's had, she met him blow for blow and proved she was more than equal to his challenge.  
  
Alex swung a hard right at his face and missed, but the momentum of her punch left her with a blind side that Alec immediately exploited. He kicked her hard in the side, knocking her to the floor. He quickly kneeled over her before she had a chance to rise again and grabbed her wrists, twisting her arms up and holding them over her head. She thrashed underneath him, but to no avail.  
  
Alec grinned triumphantly at her and settled back on his haunches, not releasing his hold on her. She glared up at him and his smile grew even wider. "Say uncle," he teased, flexing his hold on her arms. She narrowed her eyes at him, then sighed in defeat and he knew he had won. She shifted under him and suddenly her pelvis brushed up against his groin, rubbing him in completely the right way. His attention immediately shattered as he drew in a sharp breath and his hold on her wrists loosened minutely. Which was exactly what she had expected.  
  
With amazing strength, Alex wrenched her hands out of Alec's grasp and used his momentary distraction to heave her body up against his again, this time throwing him off of her onto his back. She pounced on him in a very feline manner and kneeled on his arms, straddling his chest. She crossed her arms under her breasts and stared down at him with an innocent expression. "Uncle," she complied sweetly with his request.  
  
He growled unintelligibly at her under his breath, then his body relaxed as he conceded the round to her. A smile spread across her face as she felt his muscles loosen underneath her. He noticed this and frowned sulkily. "You didn't play fair."  
  
Alex shrugged unapologetically and shifted her knees to free his hands. "All's fair in love and war," she quoted at him without making a move to vacate her perch on his torso.  
  
Alec lifted his hands and tightly grasped her hips, pulling her body down against his. He watched with a smirk as she drew a sharp intake of air as she felt him through the clothing separating them. He firmly placed a hand at the back of her neck and drew her down so she placed her hands on his chest for support.  
  
"Well, you won the war part," he whispered huskily in her ear, flicking his tongue out to lick the corner of her jaw lightly. "Wanna see who wins the next part?"  
  
She giggled low in her throat, blue eyes shining down at him. She tightened her hold on his shoulders and leaned forward, parted lips hovering above his mouth. Their eyes drifted shut as they kissed lightly, barely more than a mere brushing of their lips. She leaned in further, insistently deepening the kiss and he responded in kind, squeezing her hips gently in appreciation.  
  
Things would have progressed from there, had Brian not chosen that moment to come home from work.  
  
"Lexa? You in here? I wanted-" he cut off in mid-sentence, mouth hanging open in shock.   
  
"Brian!" Alex leapt off of Alec as if she'd been electrocuted, face flushing a vivid shade of red. Alec was a little more leisurely about rising, straightening his hair with one hand as he glanced over at Alex, amused at the embarrassed look on her face.  
  
"Oh God, I'm sorry- I didn't- I mean . . . I came in here to tell you I got a tip about a couple of demons holed up on Wellington Avenue in sector four." Brian appeared just as awkward as Alex, but he quickly attempted to slip into his professional mode and forget the intimate picture the couple had made on the floor. He soooo did not want to think of Alex doing that. Or anything remotely like 'that'.  
  
Alex cleared her throat and wiped her hands on her sweats, relieved that Brian didn't mention anything about her and Alec, especially considering how he'd hit the roof when she told him she'd been discovered. "So, these just your regular run-of-the-mill baddies or do I want something from them?" She asked, not looking at Alec, who she knew had to be greatly entertained by her awkwardness with the situation.  
  
"You want something from them," Brian replied. "They ran in the same area as that Kayorsha demon that was killed last week. You should try to find out what they know about the major evil in Seattle."  
  
Alex nodded and asked, "Friend or foe?"  
  
"They didn't seek me out, so I have no idea whether they're willing to deal or not. You might have to beat it out of them."  
  
"Ooh, my specialty," she quipped, moving over to a bench lined up against one wall. She picked up a hooded sweatshirt and zipped it up. She turned back around and offered Brian a smile. "I'll be back as soon as I find them."  
  
Alec cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him. "If you don't mind, I'll go with you," he said, pulling on his shirt.  
  
"Oh, that's okay," Alex said, not wanting to inconvenience him by putting him in a life or death situation. "I'll be fine. You don't have to come."  
  
"I want to," he replied simply, picking up his leather jacket and preceding her out the door before she could argue with him.  
  
She watched his back with a small smile, touched that he wanted to come with her. Brian caught her eye and she shifted self consciously from foot to foot, but all he said was, "Be careful out there."  
  
She smiled gratefully at him for not reminding her of all the reasons she shouldn't be involved with anyone. "I will," she replied quietly and followed Alec out of the apartment. 


End file.
